Arriving at Diric, Auriana looked to Calleb, silently warning him not to do anything that aroused suspicion.
"We are cool. Keep acting like that, and you'll be the one getting suspected. Not like they aren't already," Caleb shrugged and stepped aside to let go ahead of him.
Two maids walked out with a coat for her. It was draped around her as she shifted back to her human form. One coat was also given to Caleb.
"Welcome back, Your Highness," they said, and she hummed. Standing to properly cover her body.
"They are here," Auriana said, referring to her parents. A few more servants came with coats for the king and queen as well as those with them.
"Your Majesties," everyone greeted.
"I will see myself inside," said Auriana. She wanted to be away from them for as long as possible before they would scold her again for something that was not her fault.
"Princess…" Caleb called, wanting to follow her.
"Stay behind, Caleb. Tell me if something comes up," Auriana interrupted. He stopped with a nod and bow.
"Auriana, wait…" Hazel called. She wanted to talk to her, but the child was not giving her the chance to do so.
"Your Majesties," a man's voice reached her ears, and she stopped. Turning in the direction of the voice, she saw a man dressed in the uniform of the border guards. "Sorry to come unannounced like this, my king, but a message was received today from Varecien. A message from the king, delivered by his confidant, Adrian."
Hazel and Edgar frowned. They didn't want to hear more about the vampires, but it seemed fate had a different idea. But then, they remembered that the king was in his slumber, so it surprised them that he suddenly wanted to visit.
"Has he been awakened?" Edgar asked. He looked at Hazel, telling her to go and rest. It was almost sunrise, and she needed to have her rest, too.
"Yes, your Majesty. He was awakened a few days ago, or so we have come to know," the border guard replied, and Edgar nodded.
"Hmm," Edgar didn't know what to think of this, but it had provided him with a rare opportunity. "What is the message?"
"It goes like this, and I quote, King Lyrus Donovan would visit Diric after sunrise. But of course, with King Edgar's concern," The guard repeated the words Adrian.
"I will leave this to you," Hazel said, deciding she should take a break from hearing more talks about vampires for a while. She would also talk to Auriana another time. She walked away and stopped beside Caleb. "Where is the princess?"
"The princess said she would be going to her room. Your Majesty," Caleb replied with a bow. Hazel nodded her head and walked away. Caleb sighed and continued to listen in on what was being reported to the king. It was quite a fateful thing that the time Auriana wished to meet him, he was coming to her instead. Such luck!
"Send my reply, It will be my honour to receive King Lyrus of Barecien to Diric," he said. It was only right to accept, one of the reasons being that it could provoke the vampires into taking unnecessary actions because they would feel disrespected and the second being that he could speak to Lyrus about the supposed mate of his daughter.
With that said Edgar wants inside while the border guard returns to deliver the message and resume his duty.
Meanwhile, Caleb went to find Auriana as this was the best opportunity for her to prepare to meet her mate in a matter of hours. He almost couldn't stop himself from grinning as he made his way tontye guards quarters to change into descent clothes, but he was mindful of the fact that people would not stop asking questions. He then made his way to the wing where the princess's room was located and walked in. Stopping by the door, he knocked, but there was no answer the first two times. Knocking the third time, the door was opened by Irene, and he grinned.
"The princess is having a bath now, go away," a brown-eyed and brown-haired girl said. Caleb feigned hurt and looked at her as pitifully as he could look.
"Not even a welcome for me. Pitiful me," Calleb uttered in a sulking tone. "And I had such good news to deliver to the princess," he said when she was about to shut the door on his face.
"What news?" Irened stopped to ask. If it was important she could deliver it to Auriana herself.
"I am not having you take the credits that should be mine, I will wait here for her," Caleb folded his hands across his chest and turned to face the empty hallway.
"Suit yourself and… have a nice time waiting. She'll never know you are here unless I tell her," Irene said and attempted to shut the door again.
"This is about her mate, so I must tell her, don't you get it?" Caleb whispered yelled while holding the door to prevent it from closing on him.
"What mate? Princess Auriana doesn't have a mate," or have they?' she asked in her mind, confused at the sudden mention of a mate. She stared intensely at Calleb to decipher whether he was lying or telling the truth but she got nothing but a smug look on his face. "Caleb, answer now, Princess Auri is waiting."
"I doubt she is and even if she is, I am not telling you this either," Caleb said, acting like a child who's got info on another and feeling smug about it.
"You little…"
"Let him in, Irene. I am done," Auriana's voice interrupted them. Irene gave a warning to Calleb before walking inside, leaving the door open. Auriana shook her head when she saw them acting like that. It was almost an everyday banter between them and somehow, she wondered how it would have been had they been siblings. "You two are giving me a headache."
Caleb scratched the back of his head while Irene just gave an awkward smile.
"What was it you said about my mate?" She asked. She had heard their conversation, that was why she came out much sooner than she would have. At least something was happening in her favor but she realized that it was not fate. He kept his words. He said he would come to her and only a few days later, he was already on his way.
"A guard from the border came here just after you left to inform the king of King Lyrus' later tonight," Caleb informed and grinned, feeling proud of himself for doing his duty well.
"Again, what mate? Princess Auri, Pardon me but I am lost here," Irene said, still clueless about everything.
"Fine, I'll volunteer," Caleb said and Irene raised a brow. "Volunteer to fill you in on the details."