Jacquelyn was so excited to be outside the castle, she wanted to run around freely and greet every soul in the market, but she knew better, and Griselda had already warned her after they left not to leave her side.
All the princess had to do was keep her excitement in check, waiting for the right time to really be herself.
"Fluffycakes!!" a merchant shouted, raising a small paper cake for passersby to check out.
Griselda turned to the young princess whose eyes were darting left and right out of excitement. "Lyn, stay right here; let me buy those. You will like them."
Jacquelyn nodded. "Go ahead, Grisie, I'll be right here like... um... that tree, I won't move, I promise," she said, pointing at the nearby tree that some villagers sat close to, relaxing under its shade.
Griselda followed the girl's hand; the woman's eyes moved away from the tree and settled back on the princess, narrowing them suspiciously. "I don't know about that tree, just stay right here."
"Right here, I won't move." Jacquelyn nodded her head. The older woman stared at the girl one more time before leaving for the nearby stall.
Jacquelyn had really planned on obeying Griselda's instructions. In fact, she didn't want to move at all from there as the spot was good enough for her to see everyone passing, but then she saw an old man carrying a sack that looked heavy, making the man's back hunch in an awkward manner.
Biting her lips, Jacquelyn looked at Griselda, then back at the old man. She tapped her feet on the ground.
"This won't take long, Grisie." Saying this under her breath, Jacquelyn ran to the old man. "Good sir, let me help you. What about your children?" she said, trying to lift the bag on her head, but being a princess, she wasn't used to lifting heavy objects.
Jacquelyn's body swayed back and forth as she tried to keep her balance and at the same time not throw the bag down, but she failed miserably. As she was about to fall, she saw a tall man in a black cloak walking towards her, and beside him was a young boy.
Thinking that the man was going to help a damsel in distress, which was herself, Jacquelyn walked forward, but to her greatest shock, the man dodged her, pushing the young boy in front. Both Jacquelyn and the boy crashed on the heavy bag.
Jacquelyn winced when the sharp sand bit into her skin, cutting it open. The princess stood up with anger but failed to notice the part of her elbow that was now bleeding.
Out of anger, she pointed at the man in front of her.
"You, sir, are a cowardly father! You pushed your own son forward to take the fall just to save your own skin!"
Jacquelyn turned to look at the young boy, who was struggling to stand up, and she quickly ran towards him to help him.
Kael looked around to be sure he wasn't hearing things. He was the Great King, a walker of the night, and a mere human now dared to call him scum, and whose father was he even? He wanted to know too.
"You won't say anything? I bet your wife wallows in sorrow just by the mere thought of having your child." Jacquelyn clicked her tongue, still eyeing the man in front of her. Seeing that the man wasn't going to talk, she ran to help the young boy.
"Are you okay? Young boy, what is your name?" Jacquelyn asked, touching the boy's hair as she helped him stand up.
Ballister raised his eyes to look at the human, who he was sure wasn't born during the time he was born but called him 'young boy'. But that wasn't his problem; it was his master who had just been pronounced a scum by a mere mortal. It was going to be a bloodbath soon, and he pitied the human in front of him since she looked like a kind person.
"Don't be afraid, I'll help you. Nobody knows, but I have a connection with the royal family," Jacquelyn whispered to the young boy, trying not to give away her identity. "Tell me, does your father also subject you to harsh labor?"
Ballister moved his eyes away from the girl and settled them on his master, who was now glaring at him. His neck became stiff with fear. Not knowing what else to do, he took a step back away from the lady.
"I'm sorry, my lady. I have to go now,"
Ballister moved away, but the young lady won't let him go.
Jacquelyn sighed. "I see, he has really put fear into you," she muttered. "This won't do. We need to take extreme measures on all useless fathers that hit their children."
"Useless?" Kael asked, pointing his slender finger to his chest. In just one night, he had taken the most insults since his reign as the Vampire King.
As Jacquelyn was playing mediator, her hands mindlessly brushed against her injured elbow, spreading the blood there.
The two vampires were quick to catch the scent of the girl's blood. The smaller one's eyes darkened with thirst, Ballister now took a step forward to Jacquelyn, his fangs elongating.
Kael was quick to notice this, and with two long strides, he went to stand between Ballister and Jacquelyn. With one strike on the shoulder, he knocked Ballister out.
Jacquelyn's eyes widened in shock. "What did you do to him? You have no shame! Hitting your son in front of me." The princess touched her forehead at the absurdity of the situation in front of her.
Kael positioned himself to hold Ballister, his patience wearing thin with the little human's insults. Despite having the power to kill her with a mere thought, for some odd reason, he refrained. First, it was strange that Ballister wasn't able to control himself at the sight of blood, and also the girl's boldness struck a nerve.
"You were about to become dinner, foolish one," Kael said, his voice low and menacing, trying to instill fear in the girl as he turned his head slightly to the side.
The princess was slow to catch the threat, but the insult she caught quickly. "Foolish one? Who do you think you are to call me foolish! Do you know who I am?" Jacquelyn pointed at her chest, raising her shoulder proudly.
She wanted to keep it a secret, but the man in front of her was really getting on her last nerves with his narcissistic attitude.
Kael smirked, this time turning his face. "I'm glad you asked. I am the-"
"I'm sorry!" Jacquelyn bowed her head, cutting the man short. In front of her now was an angry-looking Griselda.
The woman had turned around after buying the cakes and almost lost a few years of her lifespan when she didn't see the princess. When she saw the small commotion not far from there, Griselda knew immediately who was behind it.
On the other hand, Kael, thinking the girl now recognized him, continued. "Forgiving you is-" and again, the girl cut him short.
"Grisie, I swear I wanted to stand there like the tree until..." Jacquelyn ignored the man in front of her.
Griselda walked straight to the girl and tugged her hand, not waiting for her explanation. "We are leaving!"
"I- him..." Jacquelyn pointed at the man, but Griselda didn't stop walking until they were out of the market.