Wolf in Wolf's Clothing

After spending around two days in the dungeon, Arabella learnt a few things. Such as how Donna seemed to dislike getting too close to people in the dungeon for fear that they would be taken away. She learned it the hard way by getting to know another girl who was then called an hour after they have just talked together. The girl was then brought away from the dungeon and had never came since. Bella heard the guards from outside whispered, "What about the toy you brought out an hour ago?" 

"She's gone. A guest from the neighboring land had sucked her dry," said the other guard bleakly. "I heard they're from a land where it's filled with nothing but sands. The only place where there are greeneries are the Oasis." 

"Really? What land is that?" 

"The Mamlaka," said another person who then added, "They call the King, Sultans, there." 

Arabella pursed her lips. Though she could hear the guards talking about the land that has nothing but sands which should have fascinated her, she was in a state of blank, unable to wake up from her shock upon hearing the green haired girl who she had just known the name of had died in the hands of the vampires. She rubbed her shuddered arms, praying that no one else from their dungeon should ever be called out anymore. 

Donna saw her expression and sighed, she slipped something to Bella's hands, surprising Bella who was focused on staring at the ground while she prayed. 

Opening her hands, Bella looked at what was on her hand with confusion, "This is...?"

"My bracelet, it's made out of silvers," said Donna with a softer tone, trying to not smile. The girl though always firm and sharp with words had began to warmed up to Bella as they slept on each other's shoulders for the past two days. "I don't know how it works against Vampires but I heard they are pretty affective back then." 

Bella frowned, "I can't take this, it is yours. You should have it for your protection. It would be foolish to give someone else your protection." 

"Don't worry about me, look," she pulled her wrist, "I have them too." 

"What about me?" Came the voice of Iliza who had been watching them from earlier, "Don't you have anything to give me too?" She pouted her lips to Donna who sighed and pushed her away. 

"No, that's all I have," Donna then curled on the ground. Bella turned to Iliza and as she was about to remove the silver bracelet from her hand, Donna clutched tight to her wrist, "Don't even think of doing it. Didn't you tell me that it would be foolish to give someone else your protection?" 

Bella was startled as Donna had guessed ahead and knew that she was about to give the bracelet to Iliza as she thinks that she had almost killed a vampire earlier, though she feared death, she didn't want to be the cause of someone else's death. 

"Can't I maybe divide this to two?" Bella asked, trying to find the middle ground when suddenly she heard a clank from the prison cell's door, causing for Iliza to back away and Donna's body to sat right up. 

Bella felt a sudden pull as the guard had entered the cell so suddenly in blink of an eye and dragged her by her neck, pulling her around the collar. Then there was a maid who looked at her, the eyes of the maid narrowing upon seeing her grim attire. "Is she really the one?" The maid asked with a frown. "So ugly and dirty." 

Bella eyed the maid, raising her eyebrow on the left and muttering underneath her breaths, "You're not too special either.." 

"What did you say?!" The maid angrily called up to her but Bella shrugged her shoulders. Now that she found out the vampire who saved her is the Crown Prince, Cassius, she thought she should be free for a while without anyone daring to hurt her. Well, at least until he's bored of her. 

Bella heard the maid cursing, "How dare you lowly peasant mock me. You're proud because the crown prince took attention to you? Don't flatter yourself, it won't be for long." 

Bella pursed her lips. Though sometimes this mouth of hers run out and about as it wished, it wasn't as if she was genuinely searching for troubles and enemies. She thought that this was enough and she should cover her lips tightly, answering only in her mind when needed. 

Seeing that Bella had clamped up her lips, the maid smirked, "That's how you should act as a mere toy." 

Yeah, yeah. Sometimes people of low stature wouldn't mingle with others in lower status. That's because they feel that they have already occupied the less and befriending the lesser will cost them. 

Bella saw the worried Donna looking at her and she waved her hand at the girl, hoping to tell that she would be able to endure what happened. Though deep down... she wasn't too sure about it. The Crown Prince, that vampire, had asked her to not bore him out, but what should she do? Dance? Read him stories? Writing? Those were the only few skills she picked up along her childhood and she doubted that man would enjoy it. He seemed like he would enjoy torturing people more... 

The maid then dropped her in front of the familiar large door with the two golden crows attached on the top of the doorknob, symbolizing the Crown Prince's quarter and that it belonged to him. 

As Bella was about to pick herself, she felt the maid from earlier stepping on her bare feet with her loafers, the maid didn't stop there and continued to press her feet deep into Bella's toes, making Bella to endure the cry as she didn't want to show her weakness to the haughty maid. Once the maid saw her eyebrows furrowed and tears filling her green eyes, the woman finally stop and scoffed, "Remember your place." 

Bella couldn't hold her lips even though she had just made a promise to stay low around five minutes earlier. Her mouth opened before she thinks, "Does it make you happier that you bully someone lesser than you? Because to my eyes, you're more pathetic than my current situation." 

The maid's face flushed red in embarrassment, "You!" She cut off her words the moment she heard the door knob turn, causing her face to fell. Even Bella felt her heart sink when the door creaked open.

"Noises in front of my room, fantastic," said the velvety voice that had pulled open the door. He looked at the maid whose eyes went as wide as the full moon, staring at the ground before slowly lifting to take a peek at Cassius's face before eventually scrambling backward and pressing both her knees and forehead to the ground, "Your Highness! My apologies for being late. My name is Linda.. I'm the head maid of the sixth quar..."

"Leave," Cassius demanded and it didn't take twice for the maid to run away in fear, leaving the scene behind her as she feared that the Crown Prince would be in a bad mood. 

Bella pulled her head downward and stared at her thumb that was now bleeding. In anguish, she prayed that the smell of blood wouldn't attract unnecessary attention to the vampire in front of her. She then heard a yawn coming from the man towering from her and her eyes climbed from his shoes to his trousers, then to his maroon tunic that was lazily wrapped with a brown belt accented in golden embroidery. 

Suddenly she felt her face lifted as Cassius's red eyes overwhelmed her gaze, "I smell blood from you. Were the two days of rest not enough for you to be healed?" 

Bella was taken aback, her face was only a breadth away from Cassius. She could see his smooth skin and the long lashes that blinked away the dryness of his crimson eyes. He gazed back at her, his eyes so clear that it reflected her own face that appeared surprised by his sudden tug. There was something in that deep maroon eyes that pulled her like an enchanted book. 

"Hm? Speak. Birdie, you're here to amuse me aren't you? I like that you are brave and that you speak a lot, so answer me," taunted Cassius whose face seemed to be more cheerful seeing Bella's face. The boredom he felt was whisked away in an instant upon seeing her face. Bella was impressed by his face that she almost thought perhaps he could just be a lamb forced to be inside a wolf skin, considering he hadn't hurt her at all despite being a vampire. That wish disappeared as quickly as it appeared when he spoke in languid, "I don't like keeping useless things or limbs. That tongue still has a use or... it doesn't?" He taunted in a faint threat. 

She took it back. 

He's a wolf in a wolf clothing!