The False Friend

"Oh, I see. Then you must know him very well." Quinn replied to Aida as she still stood in front of her and Queen Mother's table looking down on her.

Aida's smile turned real as she basked in the praise of being close to the demon King. Her chin raised a little higher as she answered, "Yes, I do."

Queen Mother gave an amused smile as she watched Aida pretend to be closer to Vincent than she really was. She cocked her head to the side as she studied Aida, "Are you sure, Aida? How many times have you talked to him besides palace events since you came here at the beginning of the year?"

Aida's face reddened in embarrassment as she seemed to remember that Queen Mother knew almost everything about Vincent and who he interacted with. She has also kept an eye on her since she came there.

Aida looked around as she tried to cover up her embarrassment at being caught in a lie. She looked back at Queen Mother as she replied her, "It has been enough times, your Highness, but his Majesty is usually busy and during palace events is when he can talk to people."

Queen Mother humphed as she glanced back at Quinn who was watching their interaction with a knowing look. She understood that Aida wanted to show her, the King's bride that she was closer to him than her, and Queen Mother exposed Aida's lie to support her.

Quinn smiled thankfully at Queen Mother before she turned to Aida, "Have a seat, Aida and you can tell me all you know about the King so that I can know him better. Mother may not know some things that his close friends know about him."

Aida looked nervous for a while because she had never had a proper conversation with the King to even know him. She threw out an excuse as Quinn and Queen Mother studied her reaction, "Yes, yes, that would be a good idea, but I have to attend to my aunty, Queen Ellen. I will see you later."

As soon as Aida said that, she turned around and matched out of the court before they even had the chance to reply. Queen Mother turned to Quinn, grinning, "I love what you did there. Giving her a taste of her own medicine."

Quinn smiled widely, "Yes, from your speech, I understood that she was not being honest and wanted to set her straight."

"You did well, Quinn. Aida is very scheming, she and Queen Ellen would do anything to have Vincent marry her. They kept pushing her onto him, but he has refused her many times. We both know that they only want him to marry her so that she will be Queen Ellen's spy. Nothing good will come out of it."

"Thank you for warning me, I will be cautious around her and Queen Ellen." As she said that, a man dressed in royal blue robes approached them. He didn't have any servants following which made Quinn curious to know why since all the people in the palace had servants following them.

He stopped at their table and bowed at the Queen Mother, grinning, he then turned to Quinn and bowed too even though she didn't think he knew her status yet. He stared at Quinn longer than it was necessary before he turned to Queen Mother who was watching him, "Greetings, your Highness. Who is this beauty you have sitting here?"

Queen Mother shook her head, "Caleb, this is your brother, Vincent's bride and Queen. Don't flirt with her."

Her statement made him hold his hand to his chest to show that he was shocked. Quinn looked at him amused at his behavior as she tried not to laugh while Queen Mother shook in disbelief.

"Oh, Queen Mother. I am not flirting, I am simply blinded by her beauty." Caleb flashed Quinn a lopsided smile as he sat down on the chair next to her.

"How are you, your Highness?" He asked as he placed his elbow on the table and placed his head on his hand as he stared at her.

She raised her eyebrows at his boldness that he would stare at the King and his brother's bride like that, but she answered anyway, "I am fine, thank you for asking. So you are Vincent's blood brother?"

Caleb continued staring at her and didn't answer until Queen Mother whacked him on the back of his head making him straighten up in his seat. Quinn tried to contain her laughter as she pressed her fingers against her lips.

He looked at Queen Mother with a scared and confused look as she glared at him, "That is your Queen and the King's bride you are staring. You have no right to stare at her like that or flirt with her. She is off limits for you and you should know that now at 511 years old."

He looked down with a pout as he apologized, "I apologize Queen Mother." He turned to Quinn's direction still looking down, "I apologize, your Highness. Please forgive."

"You are forgiven as long as you do not do it again." Quinn answered with a nod.

He shook his head, "I will not do it again, I was mesmerized by your beauty. I did not that humans can be so beautiful too."

"Thank you for your compliment, but how did you know I am human, and you did not answer my question from earlier."

Before he could reply, Queen Mother looked at her and explained, "Demons can sense if a person is a demon or not, and he is Caleb, the son of the royal concubine of our late King."

"Oh, he is Vincent's brother then. Does he have anymore siblings?" Quinn asked as she nodded in understanding.

Caleb answered this time looking at the top of the table, "Yes, we have another brother from another concubine and the daughter of Queen Ellen who is at the vampire kingdom with her husband."