**3rd Person POV**
Perhaps there had been and her aunt had never pushed to have the answer. After all, Queen Irvette had been partially responsible for their traumatic childhood. Charlotte had never forgotten that Irvette had been part of the kidnappers. However even then in the kidnappers’ den, she could tell that Irvette was not acting based on her will. She had often times seen a shadow follow the woman about. Charlotte had the ability to see things but she had never told anyone. So then, she had known that Irvette was not acting in her own character. When she had seen Irvette again in Aunt Em's palace, the shadow had gone and Charlotte could see that Irvette was a kind woman.
She had never told Harlin about this; she hoped that she would never have to.
“Nonsense, if someone doesn't want you here and they threaten you, just let me know. They'll see the stuff I'm made of,” assured Charlotte.
Harlin laughed. He knew he could always count on her to have his back.
Once Charlotte had gotten Harlin to lay off some of his burden, she left his room. She was not sleepy but she was feeling rather restless. She made her way outside and slinked away to a quiet place. The night was truly bustling with activity; it was indeed the time of the day when the vampires were most active.
She found a grove where she sat down and watched the skies. It was a beautiful night; the stars were scattered across the sky in splendor. It was as though they were showcasing the beauty of heaven.
“Can't sleep?” Charlotte was startled by the presence of someone behind her. She drew out her short spear at once and turned around ready to attack.
“I told father that we ought to cease your weapons but he insisted that you will not harm us without cause; he was wrong,” was the vampire's response to Charlotte's reaction.
“You crept up behind me,” said Charlotte putting her spear away.
“I did no such thing. Besides, I believe you shouldn't be here,” returned the vampire. Charlotte was in no mood to argue so she straightened herself up and was about to leave the vampire alone when he held her hand so she could not move. The second his hand touched hers, hers touched the spear she had on her.
“You are too quick to reach for your weapon. You can stay, I have no intention of hurting you,” returned the vampire.
“Neither do I but I shall hurt you if you do not get your hands off me,” she threatened him. He released her hands and lifted his hands above his head so she could see that he was free of weapons. Charlotte however was not satisfied with this. She did not want another one of them to surprise her so she went back to her room.
It was not until the second night that she along with Harlin and Reginald were presented to the king. There were a couple other Royals there but they meant little or nothing to Charlotte.
It was during this presentation that she got to know that the vampire stranger that had crept up behind her was indeed a prince. That night she had been so concerned for her safety that she had not observed that the vampire prince had looks worth dying for. He stood tall and had a full head of curly dark hair. Charlotte could not believe that she was beginning to fall for this young prince. She had never understood what it was to break into a nervous sweat at the continual sight of someone before until now. She felt strangely comfortable at the Prince's continued stare at her.
“You see, I am happy that you have all accepted my invitation to celebrate my princess with me. I was not sure you would honour my invitation seeing as you have been suffering I hear from a vampire raid,” the king was a big man who spoke slowly as though every single word and sound he made mattered.
“Your Majesty, if it is alright with you, we would like to discuss that,” voiced Harlin. After all, it was the main reason they had come in the first place. If the raids were ordered by their monarchs then they would have a problem. Harlin doubted the man would claim responsibility though.
“On that front, we have nothing much to discuss, I assure you. We do not tolerate any vampire going rogue. The raiders do not come from us,” replied the king.
Harlin's eyes narrowed. Was that really how the man decided he was going to play it? He would admit to knowing about the raid but he would deny it had anything to do with him?
“Your Majesty, if I may…” Lowell began to say.
“You may not,” returned the king. The monarch did not even bother to look at Lowell. The man seemed to look down openly on those without Royal blood. Harlin did not like people like that but he loved the embarrassed look on Lowell's face filled him with unusual joy.
“The wedding is tomorrow. My beautiful daughter will be wed tomorrow. She requested that I invite all the werewolf royals as she is going to be marrying a vampire whose ancestors from his maternal lineage are werewolves. However, we can discuss business after the wedding,” the vampire king said.
“That would be very kind of you, Your Majesty,” said Charlotte. She knew his type. All the man wanted was for them to play to his ego. Normally, she hated doing such a thing but a day spent here had made her know that the fact that they avoided the sun did not mean they were weak creatures. They were very strong and even though she would never admit it, she feared they were stronger than they were.
“Indeed. I would like you to indulge me in a game, Princess Charlotte.”