'Only fools consider this world beautiful... '

Athena spent the rest of the day in the stable, playing with the horses. She paid more attention to Thunder and the other horses felt jealous of it, making it act all haughty and mighty.

"She really loves horses," Trisha said.

At night when everyone had gone to sleep, Athena quietly sneaked into Sophia's room. The little girl was fast asleep. Her lips were slightly parted. Her little body was curled into a ball.

Athena smiled warmly at her. Although she was cold and distant, she liked her very much. In fact her behavior was what drew her towards her. She closed the door slowly, trying to make no noise before she tiptoed quietly to the bed. She stopped beside it and raised her hand to touch her.

Before she could even touch her, a childlike voice rang, startling her. "Don't you dare touch me."

Sophia sat up and glared at her.

Athena scratched her head awkwardly. "You are still awake."

"What are you doing here?"

"I just wanted to see if you have fallen asleep."

Sophia narrowed her eyes at her. "Really? If that's so, you can now go back."

Athena ignored her and even pulled a chair to sit on.

"What do you think you are doing?"

"Sitting down of course," she answered as a matter of fact with a poker face.

"Get out of my room right now!" Sophia raised her voice.

"Lower your voice down. A child should not be rude at her elders," she said with a stern look.

"Who are you to tell me that?"

"Your older sister," Athena said shamelessly as she pulled her chair closer to the bed. She rested her chin on her right hand and stared unblinkingly at her.

Sophia felt uncomfortable under her intense gaze. Her cold expression cracked. "Why are you staring at me like that?"

Her lips curled up. "I just enjoy staring at your pretty little face."

Sophia blushed but quickly regained her composure and stammered, "Wha... What do you want?!"

"I want to read a book for you," Athena said as she stood up and began to look a book. However all the books she saw contained strange symbols and strange languages. She felt helpless. "What do you use these kind of books for?"

She finally found a fairy tale book at the bottom shelf.

Sophia frowned in displeasure. "I am not a child!"

"In my eyes, you are one," she said lazily and sat down. She began to read the book. "Once upon a time..."

"I am not listening," Sophia interrupted and laid down with her back facing her. "I am going to sleep so go away."

Athena ignored her and continued to read. Sophia gritted her teeth and covered her ears with her hands. She was starting to get on her nerves.

Still Athena stubbornly continued to read. She even raised her voice a little. She was such a nuisance!

When she finished reading the book, Sophia had fallen asleep. Athena placed the book back in its place. She looked at the sleeping little girl. She could tell that she was beginning to slowly open up to her. She bent down and planted a kiss on her forehead.

"Goodnight little Sophie," she whispered before she quietly left the room.

A smile appeared on Sophia's face after she had left. Her eyes opened slowly. "Sophie..." she murmured to herself. "I kinda like this nickname."

Meanwhile after she left Sophia's room, Athena headed straight to her room. She changed into her nightwear and threw herself on the bed.

Little Snow was nowhere to be found.

"Little Snow? Little Snow?" she called out. Little Snow did not come out. She went to check him at the bathroom, thinking that the little rabbit was there but there was no one. Athena sighed and returned back to bed. This time she did not panick like she did before. She just wondered why it kept on disappearing and where it disappeared to.

She picked up the book that was on the table. She yawned and opened the book. She began to read silently. Her eyebrows furrowed as she continued to read. She blinked her eyes in confusion. She looked at the cover of the book. This was the book of the story of Little Red Riding Hood so... Where did that book that she read last night go?

Athena sighed. Maybe she was just too tired yesterday. With a shrug, she continued to read the book. After some time she fell asleep while holding the book.

......

At the king's castle...

The sound of shattering of glasses could be heard. Things were scattered everywhere. Two maids stood in a corner, shaking in fear as they watched the crazy man throw things.

Andrew entered the room and stared at the man in shock. "What happened to him?" He asked the maids. The maids only shook their heads and did not dare to say a word.

"Where could she have gone? Does she want me to die in the hands of the king?" The crazy man yelled. This crazy man was none other than Fatty aka Lord William himself.

"My lord?" Andrew said hesitantly. The man turned and he got a nasty shock. "What happened to you... How did this happen?"

Fatty sighed heavily and placed his butt on the broken pieces of glass. However he did not cry out in pain. He rubbed his shiny bald head. "The king is going to kill me this time."

"Umm, don't you think that you are overreacting?" Andrew said slowly. Fatty took off his shoe and threw it at Andrew. However he managed to dodge in time.

"Overreacting?!" He yelled as he glared at him. "When he comes back, I will be as good as dead!"

A servant rushed in at that moment. He greeted as he bowed deeply. "My lord, Lord Travis is here."

"What?!" Fatty and Andrew exclaimed at the same time.

Fatty felt his chubby body weaken. "What the hell is he doing here? Wasn't he banished from the kingdom by His Majesty?!"

"What is going on here?" The voice that Fatty did not want to hear in this lifetime rang. He felt like he was going to faint. A tall blond haired man walked in elegantly. He was wearing a short sleeved shirt and a tattoo could be seen on his arm. He winked at the two maids who were standing in a corner and they blushed profusely.

"He winked at me," one of the maids whispered.

"No. He winked at me not at you," the other maid argued.

Because of the vampire's ability to hear, they could all hear what they were saying. Their little argument suddenly turned into a fight. The maids were already pulling each other's hair. Andrew secretly rolled his eyes while Fatty frowned in annoyance. "How dare you start fighting in my presence! You will both receive ten strokes for your despicable behavior."

The two maids froze and knelt down.

They began to apologize.

"Just get out of here!" Fatty shouted.

The two maids bowed and immediately scurried out of the room. They could hear them arguing outside the room.

"This is all your fault!"

"Huh?! This is all your fault not mine. You are the one who started the fight!" The other maid yelled.

"He winked at me not at you, you fat pig!"

"I am going to kill you!" The other maid screamed.

"Thirty strokes for each of you!" Fatty bellowed.

It suddenly turned silent.

Andrew bowed and greeted the blonde haired man before leaving quietly. His presence was not needed right now.

"My dear brother you look different," the tall and lean man smiled as he walked towards him. "Aside from looking like a lump of flesh, you look different... What happened?"

Fatty pinched the space between his eyebrows and said in frustration. "Why are you back anyway? Weren't you banished?"

How he wished he could wipe off that hypocritical smile!

The man who was called Lord Travis pulled up a long face. "Don't you miss me older brother? Also point of correction... I was not banished. I was sent out on a mission. Now that I have completed my mission, I am back. Where is the ice king anyway? Sucking blood out of those poor women in his bedroom?"

"Do you want to get killed?" Fatty glared at him. "Watch your words. Don't just run your mouth if you still value your life."

Lord Travis fluttered his long eyelashes. "Dear older brother is worried about me. I am so touched."

Fatty gave him a look and sighed helplessly. He looked up and made a quiet short prayer. However nothing could escape his younger brother's keen ears.

"Is that a prayer?" Lord Travis scoffed. "Dear brother do you think that he will answer a blood sucking fat creature like you?"

"Travis!" Fatty bellowed. "You will be the death of me!"

"Oh, is that a compliment?" Lord Travis blinked his eyes innocently.

"Just get out!"

Lord Travis raised his hands in defeat. "Fine, I will leave..."

When he arrived at the door, he paused and turned to look at him with his usual smirk.

"What is it?" Fatty said between gritted teeth.

Lord Travis' eyes turned watery. Fatty narrowed his eyes. "Don't you dare play that damn trick!"

Lord Travis blinked innocently. "No hugs for your little brother?"

Fatty only glared at him. He felt a vein pop.

"Or kisses?"

His chubby face turned black. He picked up a broken vase and threw it at him.

Lord Travis ran out of the room, laughing. Fatty's eyes teared. He blinked the tears back. No, he refused to cry like a baby!

When Lord Travis left the room, the smile that was on his face vanished. He met Andrew in the hallway. Andrew bowed quickly at him.

"Take care of my brother for me," he said in a serious tone.

Andrew looked confused for a moment but then nodded quickly.

"I will be back very soon," he said and disappeared into thin air. Andrew scratched his head as he looked at the place where Lord Travis had been currently standing. Did he disappear just like that?

Lord Travis appeared on a mountain. There he saw a man sitting cross legged on a rock. The wind blew through his hair gently. His eyes were closed.

Lord Travis cleared his throat. The man's eyes slowly opened. Lord Travis gave him a quick bow. "Your Majesty."

The king stared at him with his cold red eyes. "You are back."

Lord Travis nodded. "I managed to find the woman."

"What did she say?"

Lord Travis only stared at him and did not respond. The king narrowed his eyes. He looked at the star that was a bit far from the other stars. It seemed to be shining brighter than the last time he looked at it. "We are running out of time..."

"What do we do now?"

The king did not respond immediately. Instead he kept on staring at the star.

"We can't let the prophecy be fulfilled," Lord Travis declared. "We have to capture him when he is still weak. If we wait any longer, I am afraid that we won't be able to defeat him."

Still the king remained silent.

"The real question is how can we find him? He can be anyone."

"Then all we have to do is to relax," the king finally spoke up, lazily. "Just enjoy the little time you have."

Lord Travis' jaw dropped in astonishment. This maniac of a king... He is not taking this matter seriously! We are talking about life and death here! Surely when the destroyer gains all his power, every race will be wiped out. The race of vampires, demons, witches, humans, wolves...

"But Your Highness..."

"Instead of thinking about the destroyer, you should be finding yourself a pretty little wife," the king interrupted lazily. He plucked out a white flower. "Only fools can consider the world beautiful..."

The flower began to wither in his hands. "There is no beauty that lasts. Darkness is filled in this world. To survive, you have to be smarter than your enemy."

Lord Travis fell in deep thought before he nodded. "I understand what you are trying to say Your Majesty. I will now take my leave." And he disappeared with a poof.