C“What must be done, then?” The hooded figure bowed down his head, taking a breath.

“We must capture them, sir.” The man who spoke was drowned in shadows, hidden from sight in the dark alleyway.

“Of course. Then we can examine them.” The hooded figure nodded and backed away, disappearing into the shadows.

The other man dusted off his suit and straightened it, then started for the exit of the alleyway. But he stopped when a shadow towered over him.

At first, he thought it was the hooded figure coming back for something; however, it was not. A young boy with silver hair stood before him, holding a katana at his throat.

“So, you are the one who was looking for the foreigners…” Though it was more a statement than a question, and before the man could utter a word, the sword had plunged into him and he was on the cold ground.

But so it happened that the hooded figure did come back for something, and saw the man on the ground and helped him up. But the man’s tongue was cut out and he was choking violently on his own blood.

He lives, but cannot speak ever again. Fair enough. Ash grinned from the corner, tucking his katana back into its sheath.

---

The queen turned around with an amused expression, holding one of the roses in her hand. She smiled a sad smile and glanced at it as if it was a lost family member.

“Beautiful people are exactly like roses; they are beautiful, but deadly.” And the next thing Will saw amazed him to no end--the rose started withering away and dying as if struck by poison.

“You are Clary, correct?” The queen gestured to Clary, who gave her a shocked expression back.

“I am Victoria, but I suppose you already know that” she said, not unkindly.

“H-How do you…”

“Know who you are? It is simple. I am your ancestor, which means I am a Healer as well. I saw you in my dreams the other night. It was delightful!” Clary was, for once, at a loss for words.

“So, does that mean that Clary is…a princess??” Victoria chuckled in amusement and nodded.

“Oh yes! She is meant to be a Lunar. Though your parents hid that from you, and so did your friends. They knew it all along, but were not meant to tell you until you reached the rightful age, which would be 18.” Will glanced over at Clary, whose eyes were twinkling with tears. Whether they were tears of joy or of disheartening sorrow, Will could not tell.

“Oh, do not weep, child. Come.” The queen spread her arms wide, and Clary fell into them with quiet whimpers.

Victoria soothed her as best she could until Clary was silent, and then kissed both her cheeks with affection.

“There. You may stay here as long as you would like, Clary. But in return you must tell me of the future, for I would love to hear tales! You as well, Will, for you are her dear friend.” He smiled at her warmly and nodded.

“So, tell me, dear, what is there in the future?” So, they all sat down and talked until sunset, delighting the queen to no end. When it was time for evening tea, they had to stop and sip from their cups and eat the cakes, and so left the rest for tomorrow.

Clary’s room was bright blue with a painting of buttercup flowers on the wall, and a white bed with golden linens. There was also a seat beside the window, which was bright pink and soft to the touch. Clary took off her dress (with much difficulty) and fell onto her bed, her eyes fluttering closed.

Will’s room, on the other hand, was green with silver, and a painting of Victoria herself hung on his wall. His bed was white like Clary’s, with a hint of silver, and his window was open, letting the night breeze in. He quickly closed it and changed into the clothing that rested on the bedside table, falling sleep almost immediately.

Ash sprinted through the shadows of the deserted town and reached the castle gates just as the clock struck midnight. He silently made his way through the long hallways and found Her Majesty’s room, knocking to be polite, even though there was not much time to waste.

“Come in.” A muffled voice sounded behind the door, and Ash threw the white wooden doors open to reveal Victoria's room. It had golden walls and a massive king bed with silver and gold sheets that he had seen so many times before.

The queen sat down on her bed, brushing her long and tangled hair to prepare for bed. Ash bowed down in respect, and began to speak:

“My queen, there has been a disturbance uptown.” Victoria looked up and sighed, shaking her head with golden hair falling about her shoulders. Her hand went to the bridge of her nose and she pressed it firmly as she always did when she was stressed.

“What is it this time…”

“A man who calls himself Carlson King was trying to kidnap our guests, to put it simply, my Queen,” Victoria's eyes darkened and she beckoned for him to continue. “He was seen with a hooded figure, suspected as a vampire. We cannot identify what clan he is from, however. I disrupted their activities, and made sure that man could not continue; however, the vampires will find another who will aid them.”

The queen’s hands shook with rage as she brushed her hair. Taking deep, shaky breaths to steady herself, she began to speak:

“I want them tracked and eliminated.” Ash bowed down with a small grin etched on his face, his hand on his sword.

“You have my word, M'Lady.”