SPELLBOUND

"We will stay here for tonight Your Highness," Zolan said when they finally stopped moving, "the savage beasts usually roam around at night, and they tend to be more ferocious and are quite harder to deal with."

"Savage beasts?" Evie asked as she sat on a round and smooth glowing stone. It was already dark but due to the glowing stones that were scattered everywhere, Evie could see the men even without the light from any fire source.

"They are the beasts between the darkwolves and dragons. They are much stronger and more troublesome than the darkwolves but they are of course inferior to the mighty dragons." Zolan explained. "There are many other kinds of savage beasts roaming about here too. And many of them are deadly. It would be best that we do not encounter any of them in the course of our journey. Though that would be a long shot, let's just hope for the best and prepare for the worst."

"You also need to rest, Your Highness. And you'll need to eat soon too…" Elias butted in as he was already starting a fire while Reed and Zolan were setting up a tent.

"Where are the others?" Evie looked around. She was very distracted by the beauty of the glowing stones all around them.

"They're all on guard around the perimeters we have already set up." Zolan said and Evie's eyes circled. She had thought that this place was similar to the lake they had stayed at last night. Since it had looked so tranquil and calm, she had assumed the men had found another place just like that one.

Zolan seemed to immediately understand from her expression what she was thinking, so he immediately began to explain. "The beasts tend to avoid waters with those strange silvery lights and that's why I chose this spot as it is near a stream that seemed to flow towards that lake. However, it's not completely safe like that spot near that magical Lake. Though rare, there are beasts that sometimes come here. Still, it is already late, and this is the safest spot we could find to set up camp right now."

Evie eyed the stream and Zolan was right. She had not noticed because of the glowing stones. The stream was really exactly like the water of that Lake.

"Princess, come over near the fire. The air might be slightly cold for you, so this fire would warm you up nicely." Elias said and Evie moved towards the crackling fire.

At that moment, Luc appeared. "Do you think the princess will like this type of fish?" he whispered to Elias as he handed over three palm-sized fish he had caught in the normal river not quite far from their spot.

"Leave it to me… I will make sure she'll likes it." Elias said with a grin and Luc sighed in relief.

"Alright, I'm leaving it to you."

After Luc left, Elias prepared the fish and a while later, he approached Evie by the fire. Evie watched the skilled vampire set up everything to cook the fish.

When Elias was done and he sat to just turn the fish by the fire, Evie spoke. "Can I do that?" she asked. She had been itching since a while ago to ask what she could do to help them. But she was hesitating as she was also afraid that she would just mess up since she had never done anything like these in her life.

"I'll just need to turn it around until it is cooked, right?" she smiled at Elias and Elias could not refuse her expectant gaze.

He stepped aside and Evie immediately took over the task. She seemed pleased.

At that moment, Samuel appeared to speak with Zolan when he saw the princess doing Elias' task while Elias just sat quietly next to her.

"This butler…" the big man groaned, and he was about to approach Elias to scold him when Zolan spoke.

"Let her be, Samuel. She just wants to have something to do." He said, "It's a simple task anyway. And it would help her to focus on something else even for a while. I think the princess needs a task to help clear her mind too."

Samuel calmed down, realizing that Zolan was right.

By the time the fish was cooked, Elias gave them all to Evie.

"I think, this one is enough for me… you guys can go ahead and have these two." She said and the butler blinked. He then smiled.

"Don't worry about us, princess. We are still full." Elias replied. Evie pressed her lips tight. She could not believe she actually forgot that these men were not really into human food like her. She was so used to Gavriel eating with her and eating everything she eats that she had forgotten the vampires do not necessarily need to eat anything as long as they had their fill of blood.

Remembering Gavriel made Evie suddenly lose her appetite and she did not feel like eating anymore. But she still took a bite of her food and munched on it quietly.

She did not realise that the men were all looking at her and were feeling worried.

"Elias… didn't you say you'll make sure she'll like it? I think the princess don't like the fish!" Luc complained to the butler through telepathy as he glared at the poor butler.

"But I really think she liked it. I once made something similar to this for her before. Though I lacked some spices this time, I am sure the taste is not that much different from the one I cooked in the castle." Elias argued.

"Maybe it is burnt? Just look at her face, does she look as though she likes it? She looks like she's about to cry to me!"

"It must be due to the fish then."

"Wha- and you put the blame on the fish this time?!"

"Enough you two," Zolan butted in. "I think… the princess might just need someone to accompany her in her meal. Humans don't like eating alone, I have heard."

"Yeah, that must be it!" Elias agreed. "All these while when Her Highness dines with Prince Gavriel, she tends to eat a lot and has a really good appetite. But when she eats on her own, I noticed that she eats so little!"

"Oh… then… you go eat with her." Luc told Elias. 

"But I don't like fish. How about you go?" Elias complained as he scrunched his face at the mention of fish.

"I just had my fill. How about you go, Zolan? I don't think fish can kill a vampire anyway." Luc quickly foisted off the responsibility to Zolan.

Zolan's gaze locked onto the fish as though lasers were beaming out of his eyes and his face darkened.

"Alright, I'll go…" it was Leon who spoke. He knew how vampires despise fish. They can bear eating vegetables and they truly enjoy feasting on meat – but not fishes. No, siree! Though eating fish would definitely not kill them, it might as well be able to! It was the one source of meat vampires could just never bring themselves to eat.

The men all looked at Leon and their eyes sparkled as though Leon had just become their saviour right at that moment. That was right! Leon! How could they have forgotten that there was a half-human in their midst who could actually eat a freaking fish?! He might even enjoy it!