"Empress. I am one of Princess Alisabethe's brother." The arm-candy said as he flared out his glorious golden faerie wings in the air. "You seemed to have forgotten that I was your lover."

Wide-eyed, Luna had to blink at the faerie prince five times to make sure she clearly heard him.

She extended a foot forward in a confident gesture.

Raising an eyebrow, Luna crossed her arms and smiled. "You might be cute and all, young man, but I just want to introduce my husband, Apollyon, beside me so if you think that your life had no value as Princess Alisa—"

"Luna," Apollyon whispered. "We should leave Ostara and return to Lilac Manor."

"Why?" She tilted her head at him in a frown. "I don't understand what is happening."

"It's a long story--" Apollyon looked at her, and in that intense moment, she saw his gaze glittered with hunger. "--one that I would explain to you when we get home after I have a taste of you."

"I haven't done that, yet so we might as well get going." He murmured, but he also made sure that the royal siblings heard his sensual promise.

"No, you have to tell me."

"Not here. " Apollyon turned towards her and angled his face so that Princess Alisabethe would not see his expression, side-eying her and the Faerie Prince behind him.

To Luna, that translated to 'not in front of these people'.

"I don't want to go home yet," Luna whispered back. "Perhaps, after celebrating the Ostara."

"Empress Luna. I am confused as to why the Vampire King hadn't killed me yet for claiming to be your lover. I knew it was our secret, but his lack of reaction made me think that he already knew." Arrogant words matched with an arrogant smirk.

It must be true. " Luna was sure the young man wanted to die. "Was my sister, Princess Alisabethe, telling the truth that he had allowed our open relationship to bloom?"

"Husband." Luna's eyebrows knitted in confusion as she glanced up at Apollyon, wondering why he was silent the whole time.

A blooming open relationship?

Shock and humiliation made her chest tight."What is this man talking about?"

"I am a painter, Your Highness, and your husband had asked me to make you my muse for my debut as a Faerie artist." Princess Alisabethe's arm candy examined her with feverish grey eyes, and she swore he was undressing her with his stares. "The King and the Queen of the Spring Courts had been supportive of my dream and the Vampire King, as well. He was the one who brought us together, and I have taken a liking to you. I know he was your mate—"

"You have completed the paintings for your art gallery, Prince Aelfric, so I'm asking you now to leave me and my wife alone. Empress Luna will not be your muse anymore now that you are done with the paintings." There was a deadly chill in her husband's tone. "Of course, you already know who is buying all of them."

"Are they naked ones?" Her muscles went stiff.

"Fancy meeting everyone here." Prince Aspen spoke beside Luna, and her soul almost jumped out of her skin.

Luckily, Luna didn't flinch and only froze with a hand resting on her wild, beating heart.

Prince Aspen and a meek Lady Clarence who stood two feet behind him greeted them with a little bow, and Apollyon and Luna greeted them, likewise, in respect.

When Prince Aspen raised his head to greet his siblings, Aspen did a double-take to make sure it was them who were in Luna's circle.

Prince Aspen turned his head to stare at Apollyon blankly before he bent his head back and laughed to his heart's content.

Luna can only watch Prince Aspen as he clutched his stomach and wiped the tears in his eyes with his robes while Apollyon closed his eyes and sighed.

"Ah." Eyes twinkling with mischief, Prince Aspen chuckled as he covered his mouth with a palm. "This sticky situation would be difficult to explain to your wife, King Apollyon."

"What is difficult to explain?"

Was this other Faerie Prince related to Lilith?

Had she made him her lover while she was in her body and Apollyon let her?

Clearing his throat, Prince Aspen changed the subject. "Before the spring, the earth is dark and cold from the winter. Before the winter, the fallen trees from the autumn storms had laid atop the ground's decaying leaves. The darkness and decomposing soil were replaced by a purity that is light and bright, isn't it, Aelfric?"

"Time had quickly passed us by." The Faerie Prince who claimed to be her lover nodded in agreement as he glanced up at the sky, murmuring, "I remember watching snowflakes atop the snowdrifts sparkle with crystalline light in the sunshine."

Luna clutched her husband's arm as she moved closer to feel his warmth.

The Vampire King was the most possessive man in this Realm.

She couldn't comprehend Apollyon's nonchalance from Prince Aelfric's claims as she let her hand slide to his fingers and locked them together.

Even if Apollyon couldn't address her questions, at least she could sense her husband's presence, and that would be enough.

Perhaps, her husband had figured out that love didn't have to be a competition.

Passion manifested itself in a rivalry, but true love flowed where the river currents were not against it.

True love is peace.

This must be the reason while her husband was calm.

Lust is a wildfire that consumed a heart in anxiety.

She felt peace in Apollyon, but she couldn't be truly at peace with all these Archdemons clinging unto her life force, especially with this new faerie in the equation.

They are the banes of her existence who were determined to make her life miserable.

For now, Luna willed her ears to listen to the nonsensical musings of the faeries in their clique.

"--the first snow had come and gone, followed by the first day of spring. We are here to witness it first thing in the morning." Prince Aspen continued, "The first spring glowed as the bright flowers fall in the light of the full moon, turning everything enchanted tonight."

Princess Alisabethe joined in the awkward conversation. "Everything felt fresh and new, don't you think?"

"Ah, spring. No matter what happened in the past, everything can be fresh and new again." Prince Aspen took a deep breath to inhale the nightly spring breeze.

He exhaled. "The past does not equal the future. This is why the Spring Faeries didn't dare miss Ostara because we believed that witnessing the first day of Spring along with the Monarchs will make the future shimmer, sparkling bright as the sun rays."

Lady Clarence spoke with her head bowed low as her hands clasped together in front—the epitome of politeness. "Ostara is a state of grace; You're Highness,"

Luna asked. "So, nobody will be sleeping until sunrise, then?"

"Yes." It was her supposed lover who answered as he winked at her. "We will dance all night."

Apollyon fixed his gaze at him as he squeezed Luna's hand in his. "We all know that the Fair Folk loved dancing."