Under official paperwork, Vynx was a creation of the Alchemy Commission and, by extension, "property" of the King. Not all too different from serfs sworn to their master, Vynx had to answer when a royal summons called upon him. Not even Alfred or the Commission could disobey a direct order from the King, and when the big man came calling, Vynx was forced to come running. 

"To the esteemed hunter, Vynx Tusand. You are cordially invited by King Charlemagne the Second to the palace at your earliest convenience. Bring your female companions." Soleil read the short letter aloud while Vynx got dressed in the corner of the inn room. The scented letter bore the wax seal of the royal family, with a red ribbon now undone on the envelope that came with it. "I suppose that means…"

"You're comin' with me," Vynx said while tossing on his weathered auburn jacket. He didn't bother dressing up to visit the palace, especially knowing that the job usually entailed hunting down some frivolous target for the King. His brows were knitted in thought at the last line of the letter. 

Soleil glanced at the white cat lounging on the bed. "I take it that he knows…?"

"About Sophia being a vampire? Yes. About you being a werewolf? No." Vynx shook his head. "Remember those reports I made to Alfred during our last visit to the Commission?" The hunter pulled on his fingerless gloves before checking his pockets, making sure he had all his extra weapons and tools on him. "Those go directly to the King. He likes to keep up to date with all the paranormal business going on around the kingdom." Vynx smirked wryly. If nothing else, he had to thank the King for the special permissions he received. While he didn't like to flash it often, Vynx always carried a badge given to him by the Commission that bore the King's seal. It kept the Church off his back and the town guard in the countryside from arresting him. 

His royal seal also curried him a few favours while staying in the capital. The letter had arrived at their door the moment the group checked in at Vynx's favourite brothel, as if the courier himself knew exactly where to find the hunter. While Soleil was skeptical at first, Vynx assured her that staying at the Rose Garden was both comfier and cheaper than paying for an inn room at any of the other taverns. It seemed that Vynx's reputation as both an agent for the King and a lifelong regular had paid off, and now the proprietress was happy to house the hunter and any of his guests whenever they were in the area. Their room was one of the finest in the establishment, with a queen-sized bed adorned with silk canopy curtains, a small fireplace, and even a porcelain bathtub. So long as they ignored the regular thumping and voices from the other patrons, the free bordello room was the closest thing Vynx had to living like royalty—so he couldn't entirely hate his employer. 

Soleil folded and tucked the invitation back into its envelope. It hadn't specified a time or date on the letter, but Vynx insisted on going in the later hours of the evening, especially if they wanted to avoid the prying eyes of the court. Already dressed in her set of armor, Soleil waited by the doorway while Vynx scooped up the cat sleeping on their bed.

"Come on, Sophia. I don't know what the King wants from us but… I'll make sure nothing bad happens to you two." Vynx scratched her feline face under the chin, waking her up from her afternoon nap as the sun began to set outside their window. 

Sophia gave a yawn before nodding. The white cat shifted into a formless cloud of shadows before solidifying again as a small bat. Shuffling into Vynx's jacket, she made herself comfortable in his pocket. 

Vynx took one last look back at the bed, only lamenting that he wouldn't be able to spend the night cuddled up with his female companions. "Well, duty calls." The hunter locked up the door as they stepped out of the room. "Evenin', ladies. Have a good one." He winked as he dodged courtesans and their drunken patrons all the way downstairs and out of the building. The Rose Garden was located not too far from the palace; it did happen to be the capital's most upscale brothel and a favourite spot for many nobles as well. That made the walk to the palace gates easy enough, though Vynx grumbled about the King never sending a carriage for him. 

His renown as a folk hero was usually praised among the common people, but to the higher-ups in power, the hunter's true nature was a dirty secret to be kept hidden. Some would consider him the pinnacle of alchemical progress: the result of men successfully creating not only life outside of natural means but also weaving such life into the image of their design. However, Vynx was not quite immortal, even if he could no longer age. And for whatever reason, Kings were obsessed with living forever, and one highly durable homunculus was still not good enough for their tastes. At the end of the day, Vynx knew that he, like all 56 of the homunculi who came before him, was only a stepping stone on the way to the forbidden fruit that humans called immortality. 

That didn't mean that he didn't have his uses. Both Vynx and the King were aware of that. The palace guard escorted Vynx and Soleil through the main gates and into the building, giving them little time to gawk at the splendour of the decorated halls or throne room before they were marched directly to a side room meant for guests. At the reception parlour, the King was already awaiting them inside. 

King Charlemagne was dressed in a lavish set of night robes, smoking a long pipe as he stood by the fireplace. He was a tall, well-groomed man in his late 30s, though his paintings always made him appear far younger. He sported a short beard and curled blonde locks, with pale blue eyes that had been passed down by his forefathers before him. "Sir Tusand! Come in, come in. And you must be Soleil Auclair, from the Holy Order." The monarch gestured for the pair to sit on the couch across from him as he moved to seat himself in the tall armchair behind him. He inspected the two of them and tilted his head. "The reports tell me that you have been travelling with another woman lately. Where is this vampiress I have heard so much about?"

"Your Majesty." Vynx formed a fake smile as he bowed at the waist. "Sophia's right here in my pocket. Wasn't sure if you'd be cool with a vampire out in the open, so… yeah." He moved to sit down, careful to keep his posture in check and not simply plop down as he normally would. The hunter kept one eye on the guards hovering nearby, only relaxing his shoulders when King Charlemagne waved them out of the room. "So, what do you have for me this time?" he asked bluntly. 

"Well, you know me. And I've known you since you were barely as tall as my boot," Vynx replied with a smirk. 

"And here I am now, aging well past my prime. Next time you see Alfred, tell him I only have so many years left to wait before I cut off the Commission's access to my coffers," Charlemagne scoffed. 

"Yeah, yeah, I'll let the old man know. Just keep praying that he doesn't kick the bucket before he finds your miracle formula," the homunculus sneered. After a moment of staring each other down, they both shared a hearty laugh and sank leisurely back into their seats.

Soleil blinked at the exchange, eventually realizing that the two men were far more familiar with each other than she initially thought. 

"I have another task for you, one that I'm sure matches your field of expertise." Charlemagne's voice lowered, and his eyes wandered towards a large painting hanging over the fireplace. It displayed the King and Queen posed together with their pair of young, cherub-faced children sitting in their laps. "The Queen has been… acting out of sorts as of late. At first, I believed she was only experiencing a fit of sleepwalking, but her behaviour has become much more erratic during the night." His lighthearted expression fell grim as he continued, "There have been whispers of witchcraft and possession in the palace. I ignored the rumours, until the other night."

"What happened?" Vynx inquired, taking mental note of the details the King described. 

"In the middle of the night… Isabella…" His voice caught in his throat, as if the man could hardly believe the words he was about to utter. "She… attempted to strangle me in my sleep. The guards had to remove her by force, and we've kept her locked in her private chambers since," Charlemagne whispered. "... She wept and apologized to me as soon as she woke from her daze, claiming that she had no memory of the incident at all. But it is as we fear: she is a danger both to herself and our family so long as she's under the spell of whatever demon has come into our home." 

Vynx held his chin in thought. "Hard to believe that sweet face could try and murder someone in their sleep. But are you sure this isn't just another political assassination attempt?" he asked. It was no secret that Queen Isabella was once a foreign princess from a rivalling country. Vynx had been around back when tensions between their kingdoms were still rife, and it was only the arranged marriage between Charlemagne and Isabella that finally secured peace between the nations. While he didn't want to think the shy, polite princess had become a vengeful queen, he couldn't ignore the possible motive either. 

"If she is guilty of attempted murder, then she will be beheaded as a traitor. That is what my advisors have already demanded." Charlemagne looked gravely at the painting, closing his hands into tight fists. "I am not a fool blinded by love, but I still want to believe… this was not her doing," he sighed and turned to Vynx again. There was unwavering pride in the King's voice, but Vynx could read the silent plea in his eyes. 

"... Alright, I'll look into it," the hunter relented. "I'll keep an eye on your wife tonight—"

"Absolutely not. You're not to go anywhere near her while she's asleep," Charlemagne snorted. 

"Oh c'mon, you know I wouldn't make a pass at the Queen!' Vynx threw up his hands. "I know my reputation around women sounds pretty bad, but you can have a little more faith in me!" he groaned.

Charlemagne shook his head and turned his attention to Soleil. "The reason I asked for your female companions is so they can watch over Isabella. You, my dear hunter, can focus on snuffing out the source of all this evil," he said decidedly. "Do this for me, my friends, and I'll have a handsome reward waiting for your troubles." 

Soleil only nodded. "That seems like a sound plan to me. I'll make sure the Queen is safe." It was her first time working directly for the King in this capacity, but she was no stranger to following orders from the monarch. "I suppose we'll be splitting the reward 50-50 as usual." She ignored the dirty look that Vynx shot her as she rose from her seat. 

"Hey, hey, Sophia gets a cut too," Vynx piped up. "Trust me, Charles, Sophia's a good sort. She doesn't even bite—unless you ask her to." The Hunter pulled the sleepy bat out of his pocket, holding her in his palms up to the King. 

Charlemagne raised an eyebrow but gave the hunter a half-convinced chortle. "I will take your word for it. If anyone else had told me that vampires were trustworthy, I would have dismissed them as a lunatic. But I am curious to see if she is as useful as you claim."

"We'll get the job done." He offered a facetious salute and hopped to his feet. "Hope you don't mind me poking around for clues while we're here. Promise I won't break anything this time." After some thought, he decided he would much rather play detective than stand around on guard all night. Vynx was eager to get to work and maybe help himself to the kitchen's pantry while he was at it. "Good luck with the Queen, Sol. Oh yeah, and take Sophia with you." Vynx placed the bat on Soleil's shoulder and waved the two off as a guard led them to the upper chambers. Now left alone to his own devices, Vynx made his way out of the parlour to begin his patrol of the rest of the castle. He was certain that he had a long night ahead of him, along with the not-so-insignificant fate of the kingdom's peace resting on his shoulders. No big deal, or anything. Vynx thought and loaded up his pistol with several rounded bullets.