Chapter 3.

Samantha dressed up for the day quickly, she hasn't asked to sleep in the king's room. He understood that she was tired after the ceremony and respected that. As the personal maids helped her put on her shoes. A knock came on her door. She asked the person knocking to come in and a male servant did.

"Good morning your majesty, the king summoned you to show up in the dining hall for a formal introduction to his family members and general breakfast," he reported.

"Tell the king that I would be with them shortly," Samantha replied and dismissed the servant. He walked out and quietly slammed the door.

Samantha urged the maids to hurry up as she didn't want to disappoint the king's household on her first day with them. After some minutes more of getting her prepared for the day, she was set to leave.

She was escorted by the personal maids assigned to her to the dining room. She walked in, when the king signaled the butler to let her in. Samantha could feel the burning stares coming all over the dining table. She was feeling very apprehensive internally but as a princess, she learnt to organize and properly compose herself very well, no matter the situation. Samantha walked towards the king and sat on the empty chair by his right hand while the senior Queen sat by the left. Samantha made sure she avoided looking at her face, knowing fully well she wasn't happy with her presence.

"I want to formally introduce my newest Queen to all of you, she might be younger than most of you here but she still deserves the respect you give to your mother here. She holds the same title as her." King Matt hadn't finished talking when murmurs filled the dining room which cut him short.

"Silence all of you, I was still talking," he thundered and everywhere became calm immediately.

"I repeat, she deserves the same respect as the first Queen. Anyone that disrespects her, disrespects me and won't like the outcome. She would make sure not to disrespect any of you. Report to me first if she offends you and don't do things at your own will. I hope I'm understood because I'm not repeating myself again," King Matt said.

No one spoke up nor disagreed with his words. They all quietly started eating, minding their business. Samantha was surprised, even the first Queen didn't also say anything. She continued eating silently even though she wasn't happy. King Matt put a slice of beef on Samantha's plate and asked her to eat. She smiled at him, murmured thank you and cut a slice from it with her table knife.

The dining door came open and a handsome guy came strolling inside so quietly. He walked past the king and some of his older brothers sitting after Samantha and went to settle down on the last chair.

The Maids waiting in the dining room walked towards him to serve him breakfast but the king stopped her. Samantha looked at him and noticed he was the guy from last night, she started feeling uneasy. She concentrated strictly at her food with the fear that he would recognize her and tell King Matt about their Wild night.

"Why are you late, Xavier?" King Matt asked him. Samantha looked up when she heard king Matt call him Xavier. She looked at him and their eyes met, he had a boyish grin on his face which made Samantha's heart skip a beat and she looked away quickly. Xavier refused to reply and kept silent.

"Don't you dare try to disrespect me in front of my new wife," King Matt thundered with anger after Xavier gave him a silent treatment.

"Father, I'm just waking up from sleep. I didn't sleep properly last night," he replied. Samantha became more scared and her heart beat increased. She could hear the sounds of its acceleration in her ears.

"Is that an excuse? I made sure to tell your personal guards to inform all of you of our general breakfast, early this morning. Didn't Henry relate my message to you when I asked him to?" King Matt asked.

"Father, stop it. I'm here now, what's so important about this breakfast that my showing up late today annoys you all of a sudden. Have I ever showed up early to a gathering?" Xavier asked him back, his pretty red eyes flashing with anger.

"How dare you talk back at me in such a manner?" King Matt thundered and stood up. Samantha became afraid and felt like disappearing, the worst she hated was watching people quarrel or fight, but she couldn't. She had no say and freedom over her life again. The first Queen, Queen Mabel stood up and held king Matt.

"You know he has always been like this, learn to tolerate him until he changes," she said calmly to king Matt, trying to quieten his anger. King Matt sighed loudly and sat down, he gulped down a glass of water and continued eating his food. Samantha looked towards Xavier and noticed him not eating the food the maids served him after king Matt quietened down. As if he knew she would look at him, he looked up at her also and their gaze locked again.

Samantha quickly removed her eyes and gulped down a glass of water, she tried to look far ahead but noticed he was still looking at her. She became uncomfortable and started shifting in her chair with uneasiness. King Matt noticed and spoke up.

"Is anything the matter?" he asked.

"No, your majesty," Samantha quietly replied with a smile.

"But I noticed you kept on adjusting to your chair, are you uncomfortable? Is this place not properly cleaned to your taste?" King Matt asked, studying Samantha closely.

She swallowed hard before she faked a smile and replied. " It is fine, everything is okay. I was just adjusting my clothes very well."

"Is it uncomfortable?" King Matt asked.

"No, your majesty. I'm okay," Samantha replied. All eyes were already focused on her by now, some hard glint of laughter while some hard murderous stare, especially that of Queen Mabel.

She wasn't enjoying the affection king Matt was giving to his newest Queen. Samantha felt very embarrassed and dropped her cutleries as she felt full.

The Three sons of King Matt and their wives were all staring at her except Xavier that wasn't any longer. After much silence, he stood up and started leaving.

"Breakfast isn't over yet, Xavier," Queen Mabel said.

"Mother, I'm full," Xavier grumbled.

"But you barely touched your food. Please eat some more," Queen Mabel said in a pleading voice.

"I'm full and can't eat anymore," Xavier adamantly replied, not changing his mind.

"Listen to your mother and eat before you drain your miserable life in alcohol again," King Matt added harshly. Samantha felt the king's tone was too harsh and looked at Xavier.

His countenance wasn't a happy one but he didn't say anything to King Matt. He banged the dining door loudly when he walked out.

"Sometimes I ask myself if I'm really your father?" King Matt murmured and dropped his cutlery. He was now full also.

After the Breakfast, King Matt left for an official meeting. Samantha hurriedly went to the general garden outside the castle to admire the varieties of beautiful flowers planted in the garden. As she inspected them one after the other, she kept on wondering how they survive the cold weather and still blossom in the morning.

She was a great lover of flowers, back then in her kingdom, the first thing she did every morning was to gather fresh flowers in a crystal vase her mother gifted her on her fifteenth birthday. She made sure she replaced them with new ones every morning.

Samantha can tell the names of almost all of the flowers in existence. But she found most flowers found here strange and rare, she wondered where the vampire castle got the flowers from. All this while, Xavier sat on the low rooftop watching quietly at her. He has been wondering where they met since he set her eyes on Samantha, he would admit she was extremely pretty and attractive but he wasn't going to accept her as his step mother.

He wasn't also pleased with his father's new marriage, King Matt had four sons and a daughter who is away studying medicine. "Why would he want another wife, and a young lady old enough to be his daughter?" he asked himself.

He sighed and continued watching at Samantha who was obviously enjoying her time in the garden with smiles and happiness which was radiating her beautiful features. Xavier wondered why flowers could amuse her so much when they were only ornamental plants used for decorations. He saw her pick up a cone flower and inhaled it before attaching it to her shiny dark hair. He found it seductive and looked away, he couldn't even understand how he was feeling anymore.

His heart would skip a bit when he felt as if Samantha would catch him staring. He gave up watching her and left for his quarters when the weather changed and became cloudy.