Chapter 4

In the adjoining land of Vel, a round of nobles were having tea time with the royals of Vel and in some other countries. Under the shadowed table of a cypress tree, came a peaceful conversation between the people around the party. As if there wasn't chaos in the distant lands.

Dahlia, Marie, Penelope, and Cristine sipped on their cup as they eyed the one speaking at the round table they were in. They maintained a decorum of interest in the topic as they were taught despite the fact that the talk was certainly repetitively inclined toward the talk of the mundane matter.

  Sweets and delicious snacks flowed unceasingly as the Montessori kept it that way to please all the visitors in the estate.

"This might be the day to rejoice for the royal family of Vel." One nobleman turned in the direction of Vel's queen and her daughters.

"What might be the reason to rejoice today, lord Migson?" the queen addressed the earl from the west, putting down her cup of tea on the table. Like in synchronicity, all her daughters followed her gestures as well. 

The daughters also regarded the earl in the same question as the queen of Vel, Shana, wore.

"It was a widespread rumor around the surrounding lands near Vel. The merchants picked such a talk among the citizens of Vel as well." Migson just loved to have all the eyes of the people in the tea party so he unnecessarily stretched the matter. 

"Perhaps you should tell us hastily what you have heard, milord." Penelope managed to draw all the eyes of the nobles on her direction including Migson himself.

"You should let me finish, princess Penelope," Migson said. "After all, you have been away from Vel for long."

"Please, Penelope. Let the lord continue." The queen pacified, seeing how Penelope seemed to be worked up over Migson's mocking remark. It didn't escape from her knowledge how other nobles seemed to have looked down upon them for fleeing away Vel as soon as the crawlers invaded the kingdoms and started to kill people on their paths. 

Since Vel bordered the other kingdoms in the south, the werewolves were contained there but at the expense of the lives of the warriors who fought the enemies. The chaos stayed in that kingdoms and didn't reach as far from the main city of Vel yet or it shall be the conclusion of the abundant reign of family Clerigh.

Marie secretly touched Penelope's shoulder when she didn't intend to back down against Migson even though their mother had already interfered. She knew Penelope had been so angry at Migson not because he decided to cut the betrothal at the news that Vel might fall soon but in the earl's refusal to aid Vel despite the fact that he also held a great military.

Penelope wasn't the only one who was abandoned by her betrothed from another powerful family. Marie was supposed to marry the prince in the North, Dahlia was arranged to marry the duke of Evenstel in the east, and Cristine to the prince of the West. 

But they all disappeared at the first trumpet of despair in Vel of the south. 

None even aided even at the begging of the daughters to their respective betrothed. Like they were only considered suitable wives in the future because Vel of the South was the most prosperous among the other kingdoms.

The queen had wept when her promise to her king didn't come to fruition. She fled from Vel to save her daughters as well as try to find as much help as she can from the neighboring kingdoms they once help from troubles. But as she wrote to the king of her failures, she was disheartened until eating became hard to even do.

But the king responded that Vel's warriors still stood strongly against the feigns and assured the queen of a good future ahead. For months there was no good news and the letters came so sparingly that it was worrisome. 

"This might be the last day that Clerigh will be staying in the Montessori estate." Migson continued, pleased that Penelope was subdued. 

"Does it mean it is true?" a lord from the west, Wilson, interjected. "The crawlers were decreasing in numbers due to the help that one of the princesses managed to get."

"Which princess?" Asked one woman at the tea table after running her gaze among Vel's princesses there.

"Princess Kaleen made a deal with king Marcus in exchange for her hand," Migson announced loudly which astounded everyone there including the Montessori who hosted the event.

"Isn't he the enemy of us all? Have your daughter lost her mind?" Came a violent reaction from one of the nobles there and this seemed to be Migson's intention to shame the Clerigh even more. For there was no greater mockery to the Vel than to make a pack to its century-long enemy of the human race- the vampires.

Even queen Shana appeared to have been taken aback at such news as well as her daughters. Of course, they were aware that Kaleen insisted to stay in Vel to assure the people of her presence to pacify their fears. It was such a noble act that even the king didn't manage to persuade that stubborn princess who would rather choose a sword to hold than a tea cup at a party.

"Is this true? Isn't the vampires our enemy Why had your daughter made a deal with that atrocious beast?" Valen Montessori approached the queen this time.

Shana redeemed herself from appearing uninformed about such an important matter in her own kingdom as she stood up abruptly from the table.

"It seemed that we have overstayed here, lord Montessori. Of the verity of the rumor, we shall know of it in our return to Vel." Shana said and walked away from there as her daughters followed behind their mother, the queen.