"I have to follow her father, I must make sure that she remains safe." Donovan said to his father.

"You can't be serious, what about when you rut, what do you think will happen when you feel the animalistic instinct to mate and destroy." His father said voice almost bitter with concern.

"I-I can control it, I can." Donovan said his voice strong hoping to persuade his father.

"She's a human, if she dies in an unnatural way the king will be on our tail we can't have that here. This is a salvation we built with sweat and blood. So many sacrifices were made for this place to exist."

"Father I'll never let it get back here I promise if I make a mistake I'll hang for my sins myself."

"Donovan what's gotten into you?, what does this human girl have that makes you so willing to sacrifice your safety for her."

"I imprinted father."

April woke up in a small hut, her eyes widen when she sees the man she saved looking down on her, completely healthy. She suddenly remembers her mission and her sister and decides to stand up despite her throbbing skull.

"I have to g-go." She said getting from the low mattress.

"Chief Vernon said that you hit your head and you'll need to stay in bed for a couple of days."

"I have to go to my father, my sister's in trouble."

"I know, you said it quite a bit in your sleep."

Donovan said with a dazzling smile on his face.

"I have to go now." April said and Donovan's smile dropped.

"I should go with you." He said hoping the girl would say yes.

"No you should stay here and recover."

"But I've already recovered, please let me come. Please please."

April was a little taken aback by his childish behavior but shakes her head neither the less.

"I won't cause you any trouble I promise." The man said and April stands up with a hand on her head. She grabs her sword that's been laid next to her in the bed.

Stumbles out of the cabin to see a group of men just watching her.

This must be the injured man's community.

Something felt off to her but she greeted them anyway, thanked them for their help and started looking for her horse.

"I have more food for your horse, but you can only have them if you let me travel with you."

Charlie was a good horse, April couldn't let him starve.

Michael stirs the boiling pot, he had tested almost every poison known to man.

From mercury to poison ivy and couldn't quite find the poison that the queen ate.

He'd even gone back to the scene and gotten the soup bowl she had eaten from and tested that as well.

The poison was gone from there as well, it was just a regular bowl of soup.

Michael would have to report to the council about this, something was definitely in play here.

Akia rans into the lush garden, so many bright colorful flowers adorned the place.

She searched for her favorites and then saw a beautiful rose bush on top of a stone built.

She climbs on top of the smaller plant setting and stands on top of dirt to reach for the red roses.

Her eyes landed on the king, he had a large sword in his hand and palace guards surrounding him. They all charged at him at once and she gasped and shut her eyes.

When she opens them again the king was sitting down breathing heavily while everyone else was on the floor around him.

She clapped energetically, and they all turned to look at her.

She turns around realizing she just gave herself away.

She turns around attempting to go back to her chamber when the king appears in front of her.

"How'd you get up here so fast?" She asked and he replied "I'm a very fast man."

Akia smiles and then just stands there silently. "Where is your maid?, surely you didn't leave your chambers unattended." The king said and akia scratches her neck awkwardly.

"The queen called them all, she wants them to help prepare her baby shower."

"Another one?" The king asked taken a back by the girl's sentence.

"I'll go back into my chambers now" akia said with a frown on her face before turning and slowly walking away hoping the king would tell her she could stay.

"I don't want you anywhere alone, follow me." The king said and akia almost squealed.

She was bored of that room and if she had to go back there even for a second she doesn't know how she'll continue to survive.

She sits on one of the many mounted rocks and watches the king fight.

"Wow since the king's concubine is here he's working so hard to impress her." One of the guards said, the king glared at the teasing words.

"You all should be very glad that clast isn't here, he would've threaten your lives a couple hundred times for your jokes against me." The king said brushing off their comment.

The guards laughed and some joined in teasing the king on his sluggish movements, saying he got shy because he now had an audience.

Akia didn't know much about the law but surely the king wasn't someone you could tease like the guards were doing now.

She watched the king take all of them down with a swift wooden sword to their throats or chest.

"That's enough for today, my ego is bruised since I've become a laughing stock." The king said before tossing his sword at one of the instructors.

"Should we go for a walk?" The king asked showing a hand to akia who nodded happily.

"Are people allowed to talk to you like that?" Akia asked out of genuine curiosity. The king seemed to thinking about it.

"When I'm on the throne I have to honor my father and his father so I can't let them be disrespected. But those guards have known me since I was a child, most of them are very close friends so it's okay for them to make fun of me. They raised me so they have that right."

She took a hold of the kings hand and he led them to a woodsy area being covered by a gate.

"I come here when I need silence."

The gate is pulled open and a bright green light lifts off from the gate causing akia's eyes to widen.

"What was that?" Akia said and the king looks around.

"What was what?"

"You didn't see that" akia said and the king looks at her in confusion.

"It was like a green firefly." Akia said with a wide smile on her face.

The king fell in a trance looking at her smile.

"It must've been quite a sight." He said and akia nodded.

The king opened the gate and let akia in, once she got in he followed suit.

The area was covered in vines and flowers, it was like a door on its own and when akia tried to open it, a thorn goes into her thumb and she yelps as blood starts tickling down her thumb.

The king took her thumb to his mouth and used his teeth to take out the thorn from her thumb.

"I should've gone in first." The king said before placing a kiss on her wrist.

To akia the simple act was heroic.

He opened the gates to a field of sunflowers amongst other wildflowers.

"They say that the sunflower turns in the direction the sun is, their ability to adapt to many different situations are why I find them inspiring. To be able to adapt and look for energy in darkness, is something I had to learn at a young age."

"You mean the Luna period right?" Akia asked and the king nodded.

"The Luna period, the reign of the witches- whichever name you prefer. Led me to force myself to adapt."

"Mother told me forbidden stories of the kingdom in her cold sweats." Akia said and the king pulls out a blanket made of silk from a branch, he lays it on the ground and ushers her a seat next to him.

"Stories like what?" He questioned.

"I'm not quite sure if I could repeat such things."

"You're safe here, I don't have a crown and I'm not sitting on the throne so I'm not your king. I'm just Damien your local high blood."

"Your name is.. Damien?"

"No it's the name I've chosen to go by, repeating my name to another is irresponsible."

"Can I hear it just this once?" Akia said under her tone.

"Octavius."

"King Octavius, there was a story book mother used to read to me and it involved a prince named Octavius. I miss listening to story books."

"I could get you some books, we have almost every book ever made."

"I can't really read." Akia said quietly and the king eyes seemed to widen in adoration.

"Ah- your mother never taught you?"

"She didn't really want me to become too invested into academics and stop making oils and medicine. She didn't want me to end up like April, April held a sword once and has never dropped it even once. She was afraid I would get the title ' tougher than leather made from a bull' and drive all my suitors away like April did."

In that moment it dawned on the king that he'd made a grave mistake.