A few days passed since I last saw Tristan. My only company had been Olivia when she brought me food. Every time I would ask her questions she would make up some excuse on why she had to go. I'd trick her to stay longer by asking her to do my hair. She takes pride in her work, but she would always leave when she was done because of "chores." To pass time, I would read, go in the Jacuzzi tub, or just stare out the window at the garden. Sometimes I would see shadows outside and felt as if someone was watching me.

Today, I decided to watch TV, which isn't something I was accustomed to since I wasn't allowed that luxury in the institution. I casually flipped through channels and was amazed at the graphics on the movie that was playing. Things had come a long way since the accident.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Thinking it was Olivia, I yelled, "Come in!"

Julian entered wearing a dark-grey dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up. His muscles protruded through the thin material, showing off his fit body. I couldn't tear my eyes away; everything about him was captivating. His brown eyes were polar opposites of Tristan's. They weren't bright, but the honey brown was just as beautiful with gold flakes and felt safe. His defined cheekbones and chiseled jawline were also a sight. They were as sharp as his wit, and just as mesmerizing as his eyes.

I had to tear my eyes away to stop gawking at him.

"There you go being dirty again, Princess," he teased and gave me a playful wink.

I got up from the couch and stood with my hand on my hip. I tried to ignore the fact that he caught me checking him out. "I have questions."

"I know. I hear your thoughts every time I pass in the hallway." Julian sighed as he sat in the chair across from me.

I gave him an annoyed look before sitting down and crossing my legs on the couch. I purposely avoided eye contact. "Well?"

"How can such a small person be so fiesty?" He seemed to ask himself.

"I'm not small... You're just...big," is all I could come up with as a comeback.

He laughed. "I know you think so. I heard your thoughts when I walked in."

I threw the couch pillow at him and ordered, "Out!"

"Don't be embarrassed. It's flattering, really," he cooed in his Spanish accent.

"You can leave now."

"But if I leave, who is going to answer your questions?" He taunted.

He got me there. I needed some answers. I was going insane in here being kept in the dark. I was a naturally curious person.

Julian grinned, reading my thoughts. This was going to get on my nerves. "There is one condition though."

I lifted my eyebrow and sighed, "Of course there is. What is it?"

"You have to answer some of mine as well," he requested as he made himself more comfortable in the chair.

"Fine," I muttered. "But I'm going first."

He tilted his head and flicked his wrist telling me to start. Lots of questions popped into my head, but there was one that I wanted answered the most.

"When you found me in the woods and were going to kill me, what did you see that made you decide not to?"

Julian met my gaze. "I saw that you see things, and that you were in the garden here in the castle."

"I don't understand h—"

"Your dream in the forest wasn't a dream, Princess. You were somehow here, but not here at the same time. Tristan really saw you," he explained.

"So..."

"Uh, uh." Julian shook his head. "Its my turn for questions."

I huffed impatiently. "What is it?"

"Why were you in the forest all alone?"

"I was camping," I said sarcastically. "What else do you do in nature?"

"You know I can hear your heartbeat accelerating. You're also a bad liar," he whispered loudly while sitting foward with his elbows on his knees. "Your nose slightly twitches when you lie."

I avoided his eyes again and sighed. I was worried they would make me leave if they knew. He would probably read my thoughts anyways so I confessed, "I escaped a mental institution and hid there so I couldn't be found."

If he was shocked or curious, he didn't show it. His face was void of emotion, which was new with him. He was always so forward. Maybe he was thinking.

When he didn't respond, I decided to ask another question to avoid the awkward silence. "Follow up question to my question. The King said at dinner that you saw my past and someone else's, but Tristan got mad before he could finish talking. Who was he talking about?" I asked.

Julian rubbed his forehead. "I know you want me to answer that, but it's not my place; it's Tristan's. Between the two of us, don't take it lightly if he chooses to share it with you."

I wanted to be annoyed, even mad that he wouldn't tell me, but I guess I understood. I wouldn't want anyone telling people about the accident. It's personal. For me, trust is important. When Dr. Carson betrayed me, I was angry and no longer felt safe at the hospital. It looked like Tristan felt the same way about trust as I did, so I decided to drop that subject out of respect and nodded at Julian in agreement.

He gave me a hint of a smile. "My turn. Why were you escaping from a mental institution?"

I paused before answering him, "Because they were bad people. I finally had enough when they were going to do a brain procedure on me..."

Julian looked intrigued. I could tell the gears in his head were turning because of how his eyebrows moved.

"Do you know why I have these dreams or what they mean? They affect me...um...physically."

"No, that's why you're here. So we can figure it out," he answered. "Your dreams involve the Prince, so naturally, we are both curious and cautious."

"Me too. Hopefully it's figured out soon. If Tristan didn't help me when I woke up from the last one, I could have bled out. They are getting worse," I murmured.

Julian's face snapped to mine and he looked interested. "Tristan was in here? He healed you?"

"Uh, yeah. He healed me with his blood. He said that there were side effects, but I don't really feel like I've had any." I shrugged.

Julian smiled the most wicked smile I've ever seen and shifted in his chair. Something told me that maybe Tristan shouldn't have done that.

"Tell me, have you seen him since?" He asked with a smug look on his face.

"No, actually."

He didn't say anything back, but the mischievous glint in his eyes made me want to know why I haven't seen him. I know that he is an angry guy that has shown that he doesn't really like me, and it's not like he would casually visit my room, but still. Something inside me hoped I would see him here.

Julian read my mind, literally. "I was just curious, Princess. Don't overthink it."

"Get out of there!" I scolded.

"Asking me not to read your mind is like asking you to not breathe."

I shot daggers at him and ignored his statement. "How old are you?"

"You know, it's rude to ask a vampire his age." He gave me a serious look, but had a playful tone.

I couldn't tell if he was kidding. I'm the type of person that can be sarcastic and joke, but I could never tell when it's done to me. My brother used to tease me about it all the time.

Julian read my mind again. "I'm only half-kidding you. Careful who you ask that, though. I am only 353 years old."

He said it so casually. He had to have been born in the 1700s. I couldn't imagine being alive that long and seeing all of that history. The thought of his age was overwhelming.

"Wow. That's a long time," was all I could muster as my mind wandered.

"It seems that way, but the saying 'time flies' is very accurate. You find things to pass the time."

I picked at the loose thread on the dress I was wearing and changed the subject. "You didn't ask me why I was in the hospital in the first place."

Julian's face was stolid. "Because I already knew. I saw it when I found you."

"So you already know why I was in the forest? But why didn't you say anything or tell anyone? You used that as you're question," I pointed out.

"Because it's not my place, Princess. I wanted to see if you would tell me. I wouldn't want people going around and telling people about my past." His brown eyes searched mine, but I didn't know what he was looking for.

I glanced down, and my lips slightly twitched into a small smile. Julian was interesting. He seemed like one of those cocky guys that are sure of themselves, but I felt like there was more to him. I didn't feel tense when he was around; I felt safe. Maybe I could eventually trust him. It would be nice to have a friend here.

After a few moments of silence, Julian stood. "Well, back to work."

"Wait. Are you a royal too?" I asked, standing.

He chuckled. "Not quite. I'm the Prince's personal advisor."

His voice echoed in my head. See you around.

Suddenly, he was no longer in my room. Talking to Julian today actually made me feel more comfortable here. Although I didn't get all the answers I wanted, at least someone took the time to answer some. It was also nice to just be in his company.

I made my way to the end table by my bed to grab the book I was reading, and I glanced towards the door. It was slightly open. They'd kept the door locked since I've been here "for my safety," Olivia told me. Curiosity got the best of me, and I decided that I could pass time by being adventurous. I peeked my head out to see if anyone was in the hallway before sneaking out and shutting the door.