After brunch

Attendants were huddled inside the kitchen. They were having a small gathering to celebrate the promotion of the new head chef.

The attendees were holding a cup of beer, crowding the new head chef, either bragging about their cooking skills or their serving skills. It was a well-known fact that to work in the kitchen is the best position an attendant can have; kitchen workers are favored by the royals after all.

"I have this casserole recipe passed down from my great-grandmother and unto me…." An attendant, who had a long and thin neck, was talking to Chef Will. "… and on my father side, their beef steak recipe is to die for, my parents used to run a restaurant from the time before…" she continued babbling on.

Chef Will was just smiling, his eyes turned into two crescent moons. Maya had a hard time to tell if he was really listening or just daydreaming.

Chef Will was not the only one who had the crowd's attention. Though not as bad as the head chef's, Maya was surrounded to. There were only two types of crowds, either they were trying to earn some brownie points on Maya in exchange of bringing their name up to Chef Will, or they were trying to ask what Chef Will as a person--- things he would like to have as a gift, or favorite compliments he likes to hear.

"I don't have experience in the kitchen, but everybody has to start somewhere, I can learn." A woman was talking to Maya, her cup swinging to her side, beer spilling on the floor. 

"Right." Maya just nodded on to whatever the woman was saying. She was tired of hearing this line, she already heard of this earlier from the other five attendants that approached her. 

Maya searched the crowd as she locked eyes with Lisa. 'Save me.' She mouthed out.

Lisa, Maya's friend, shook her head. 'Sorry.' She winked at Maya then chugged down her cup. 

Maya was sure that Lisa was the only one who genuinely attended the small gathering to have fun--- everybody else had a goal to be hired.

Maya was intoxicated by the strong smell of alcohol in the air--- she wanted to chug down a mug of it. But she mustered all her will not to. "Actually…hold that thought for a minute." she said to the woman in front of her, with no intention to return at all. "Excuse me," she parted the crowd. 

"Where are you going?" Someone asked Maya.

"The princess! I had been summoned by the princess!" Maya announced. She cursed the princess for not being allowed to drink—she doubts the princess would appreciate if she showed up drunk.

But the princess calling her might not be that bad after all--- at least she could escape out of the kitchen. 

Upon hearing the name, the crowd was pleased, in their eyes, Maya has a great connection--- someone any attendant would like to be friends with. 

"Take me with you!" One of them jokingly said to the departing Maya.

"Yeh, take us with you." Another one said. "So we could be blessed by the princess too!"

"Sure! Follow me," Maya replied, not really meaning what she said. "If you're not too attached with your necks."

The crowd erupted in laughter.

"Good luck!" Lisa shouted, making a slicing gesture on her neck.

"Yes, good luck to me." Maya mumbled to herself as she went towards the princess' room.

Maya wondered what is it this time? What errand does she have to do for the princess to appease her boredom?

***

When Maya entered the princess' room, it was clear that the princess was waiting for her. The princess was not playing games this time, she wanted something, and she wants it now. 

Princess Alyssa was tapping her fingers on the table. "This…Lily," she tilted her head to the side. "Correct?"

'Of course, she did not forget.' Maya nodded in response to the princess. 'I have a bad feeling about this, I'm sorry Liliy.'

"Bring her to me," Princess Alyssa ordered. "Now."

If the royals want it, the attendants are here to abide.

"Yes, of course." Maya excited the princess room on her way to fulfill the command.

Despite the zombie craze, it looks like the princess had not forgotten about her little green dress.

***

Kiva was in the mood after having a feast at brunch.

She hoped brunch would always be a buffet, considering that the new head chef was appointed, she wished it would be possible. In terms of food, quantity is much more important to her than the quality.

She was skidding on the hallway as she locked arms with her father. 

"You had your full?" Duke Cliff asked her. 

"Hmmmm," Kiva rubbed her protruding belly. "Yes!"

"A shame, I'll have to eat all the Pig Brain Maple doughnuts all by myself then…" Duke Cliff teased her daughter.

"No, wait!" Kiva tugged her father's arm. "There's always room for dessert, as what Ali would say." she beamed. "Don't eat it by yourself!" she warned her father.

"Okay, Okay I won't" Duke Cliff assured his daughter. "You always talk about the princess," he noted. "Princess this, princess that." he tilted his chin towards Ziloh. "How about try to get close with your brother for once."

"Him?!" Kiva snickered. "It's not my fault, he hates me."

Ziloh was waking a few steps ahead of them, not having a care in the world even when he's being talked about.

"But we have oooone thing in common though," she lifted a finger to her father. "Only one."

"And what is that?" Duke Cliff asked. 

"We both love Ali!" she said proudly. "That, we could agree on."

Ziloh heard this loud and clear, Duke Cliff and Kiva could not see his face, but a hint of smile escaped on his lips. This one, he would have to agree on. But love? Maybe love was a bit too much as the word. Interested…intrigued would be the terms he would use.

Duke Cliff erupted in laughter.

"Again?! What did I say this time?!" Kiva always made her father feel all kinds of emotions---- happiness, frustration, and anger are the top three. "Why are you laughing, the Queen almost killed you back there… not letting her talk."

"You rambling about raiding the kitchen if food won't come out, how could I not laugh about that? And about your brother…" Duke Cliff wheezed. "He likes everybody, all the peri…" he cut himself off, changing his term in front of his daughter. "Those that are not immunized, unlike us, you know he likes all of them. The princess, though she may have already drunk the water of the gods, her ceremony is still yet to be completed. That explains your brother's interest to the princess."

"No, no, no, no." Kiva shook her head. "No." she emphasized. "Ziloh did not… not my Ali."

"Well, thinking that Ziloh and the princess spent the night together when he rescued her…" Duke Cliff scrubbed his chin. "…I think he finally succeeded in luring her into his den."

Den. Den. Den.

Her father's last word repeated on Kiva's mind like a warning bell, her ears perked up, hoping what she heard was not true. "What?" she asked her father.

"He lured the princess into his den and finally managed to have a taste of a royal." Duke Cliff snickered. "Would have been better if he drank her dry tough." he whispered to himself.

But someone did hear it, Ziloh stopped on his tracks and glared at Duke Cliff, giving him a warning--- Alyssa is not to be harmed, that was their agreement. Duke Cliff can have the throne to himself, and Ziloh can have the others. 

Taste. Taste. Taste.

Kiva was too preoccupied with her own thoughts to feel the tension in the air. In just a few seconds, her mind began imagining scenarios: Ali, being shoved inside Ziloh's room, her mouth covered by a seam of cloth from her dress, unable to scream. Ali, thrown on Ziloh bed, her hands tied on the bed's frame. Ziloh, slowly crawling towards Ali…looming over her…as his eyes flashed crimson red… his mouth hovering down Ali's neck… his fangs a few inches away from her soft skin….

Kiva's thoughts were interrupted as she bumped into Ziloh. "Hey!" she gritted her teeth. "What did you do to her you…" she threw punches on his back. "…you…MONSTER!" she pushed him forward--- but he did not budge.

A surge of cold wind passed by towards them. 

Duke Emil placed his hands at his back, passing by his children, he continued on walking and left his children behind. "It's winter. The princess' birthday is coming."

Ziloh balled his fist on his side, not bothered by Kiva's tantrums. He was disturbed by Cliff's words. When the time comes, weather he likes it or not, he would have to rely on Eli to protect the princess.

"Why aren't you saying anything?!" Kiva was in front of Ziloh, now punching him on the chest. "I. SAID.TELL.ME.EVERYTHING!"

"It's between me and Alyssa." Ziloh glared down at her. 

"Noooo," Kiva kept on giving futile punches. "Tell me everything that happened the night you saved her!"

"Okay, but…" One of Ziloh's brows were lifted. "Can you handle it?"

Kiva's cheeks widened as she blew a final punch on his face. "I'll go inspect your room tonight..." she stormed away. "I better not see a drop of Ali's blood in there!" each of her strides were heavy as she stomped on her feet.

Ziloh wiped the side of his mouth--- seeing blood.

Yes, he did not avoid it. 

He knew he deserved that one.