Chapter 3

"Your highness?" the nervous voice of George interrupted me, "do you truly not feel anything?"

I glanced at the elderly man who inched towards the door. I might have rolled my eyes at his behaviour, but he was the only one willing to sit through this constant testing we did.

The vials of blood, all lined up before me were just another gift from the Empire.

"I do not" I rested my cheek on my fist in annoyance, "it smells terrible get rid of it" I ordered.

"So there is a smell?" he pressed as he did as I commanded.

"Its unpleasant. I don't feel any sort of desire to drink it", there was no energy behind my words. I had repeated this so often. Confirmed time and time again, but they're still weary.

I was familiar with it.

People might stop and stare at me, but it was never in reverence. That same look of disgust and fear.

"This is troubling, my lord" George fumbled with the vials, slipping them safely away into the chest were they were all kept. "The crown princess selection process will begin quite soon".

I let out a sigh of dread.

"This tradition is surely unnecessary" I felt like a parrot, repeating familiar words over and over again.

"Have you found yourself seeing people differently?" George asked, coming to stand beside me.

"I have not. There is no attraction I feel to either genders", I had to clarify that before he went out of his way to ask if I had a liking for men.

"Thats quite unfortunate".

I looked back to the material on my desk that summarised the events to take place. If anything they were silly and, to anyone who might take notice, useless. But the purpose wasn't the result but how the girls would handle themselves in the situations. If they had the character of a leader.

"I hope the winner truly aspires to be queen and not a wife".

"You mustn't say such a thing your majesty. A wife is truly a blessing for any working man".

"I'm sure, but what about a half-man? I could careless over what unfortunate soul ends up victorious", I looked at the long list of names with disdain.

This was going to be tiresome.

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When I had returned from my meeting with the Archangels sporting a beaming smile, Randall didn't even bother questioning how it went.

"When do you plan on opening the store?" he lit up a wrapped cigar and sat on the window sill, pushing the window open slightly.

"I'm not even sure right now. I'll be okay if I pay rent for two months without starting, but pushing past that would mean borrowing money or dipping into my own money. It's looking to be after the whole selection thing" I mused as I picked up a book I had been reading.

"You say that like you don't think you'll win" he tapped the tip of his cigar outside the window, despite being told off for it often.

"We all know I'll be returning soon" I laughed, feeling better about it after meeting Anastasia.

He snorted at my words, taking a long breath of his cigar before releasing it. He tapped his leg repeatedly, bouncing it up and down until I lifted my eyes from my book and remarked.

"The entire floor will collapse if you keep shaking your leg" I gave him a wry smile.

"I'm worried" he sighed.

"Are you?" I sarcastically replied.

"Your brothers have no worries with how every man who meets you runs off in the opposite direction, but unlike you Crystal is actually quite... Popular" he looked disgusted. Probably the fact that it was true was even more disconcerting to him.

"You aren't even going to apologise for that one?" I asked but I evidently went unheard.

"She has a pretty high chance of being queen" he looked frightened at the prospect. I would think it cute for an older brother to worry about such things, but I knew what his true concern was.

Despite being part of the empire for years now, Grandors nobility did not take warmly to other species. I would call it ignorance, but I felt the same.

If Vampires are normally such a threat than what difference would a half-vampire make?

"I'll protect her while I'm there. Hopefully we both get out of it together" I muttered the ending to myself.

"I know you will. I'm just concerned that she might get too competitive about it. I've seen her when she feels challenged and it's terrifying" he dropped the butt of his cigar to the ground and grounded it in the old carpet. I spotted the other darker bits on the red carpet from previous cigars.

"Your mother's going to scold you" was all I said as I turned back to my book.

"You should look at this whole situation from a business perspective" he added, clearly not done interrupting me.

"Who do you think I am?" I gave him a smirk before turning back to my book.

"A kid who needs to relax".

"I am not a child. I'll be turning nineteen in a few months, so please, enough with this. Once I've opened the store in Capital everyone will finally understand that they looked past the best merchant my family had to offer!" I slammed my book, feeling the passion of my ambitions rushing through veins.

"I've never seen anyone driven so strongly by spite" Randall said.

"Spite is the driving emotion for every ambitious person", I snapped back.

"Hmm sure" he ignored me from then, going back to his work.

Despite how much he irritated me I was grateful for Randall's behaviour. He was the only person who was genuinely interested in my business prospects and he actually asked about them instead of discouraging me.

My brothers allowed me to do my own thing, but made sure to tell me it was a waste any chance they got. Crystal didn't really understand, but none of my friends did either. And naturally, any adult who caught wind of my ambitions just shook their heads and gave me a lecture.

"Though", Randall suddenly spoke up surprising my fully immersed attention which was focused on my book, "it would be rather amusing if you became queen".

I threw my book at him.