All across Kinshearth, from the bulletin boards across the capital city to the ones in the small towns and villages, a huge notice had been put up in the three days following Laina’s return from Dracona. 

“Did you hear about the new announcement?” one street vendor whispered to another while they were setting up their stall for the day. 

“New announcement?”

“Yeah! There’s going to be a competition to be held in the Royal Palace in four days!”

A competition of skills has been announced by the Royal Decree of Crown Princess Laina. Everyone and anyone was welcome to participate, so long they are a citizen of Kinshearth. All who arrived will have their abilities accessed and be placed in different categories. 

It was like large-scale talent scouting. 

There was also a prize at the end of the competition. Those who pass the test will have work and money. Needless to say, the competition attracted all the citizens’ attention. Overnight, it became the hottest topic in the entire Kingdom. 

Back in the palace,  Laina was hard at work making the final preparations for the upcoming competition. A knock on the door pulled her out of her work and into the present. Margaret entered the room with someone trailing closely behind. 

“Your Highness, as previously mentioned, for your safety I have hired a personal bodyguard for you. Now, I know you’re apprehensive…”

“Apprehensive?” Laina asked as she folded her arms, “Margaret, I clearly recall objecting to the idea.”

Margaret gulped, “Yes, I recall that. But, I had the Tobias and Lucinda’s vote, so we overrule you on that one.”

Laina objected, “Overrule? Margaret, my dear, you’re getting bolder.”

Margaret grinned, “I learn from the best, your Highness.”

She walked up to Laina and took her hand in her own. She truly cared for Laina’s safety. She might only be the Crown Princess but in due time, she would be Queen. When that time comes, her life would be in greater danger than ever. 

Not to mention, she also wanted to avoid as much contact as there possibly can be between Dante and Laina. For as long as she possibly could. Furthermore, there was no harm in having extra hands to help protect Laina. 

Margaret stood to the side, bringing forward a person for Laina to meet. From the chains around his hands and feet, Laina realized this person had been sold as a slave. She stood up from her seat and walked over to the man. His silver-colored hair was a rare sight indeed. 

“Margaret, what is going on?” Laina asked. 

“I know he’s not much to look at right now, but he will be your new personal bodyguard. All he needs is a drop of your blood.” the handmaiden explained. 

She could not believe her ears. 

“A drop of my blood?! Lady Margaret, I am going to need more explanation from you before I explode,” she exclaimed. 

“Okay okay, hear me out. I bought you a servant with a contract seal.”

“It already sounds horrible, you basically bought me a slave. Continue,” Laina said in a defeated tone. 

“Oh don’t worry, no one saw me there. Anyways, he is a vampire. So all he needs is a drop of your blood to recognize you as his master and he will carry out your every order. And protect you.”

Laina was livid. 

“So he’s only going to be able to protect me at night? Vampires can’t be under sunlight, Margaret. I expected you to know that.”

Margaret quickly explained, “Yes, yes of course I know that! Which is why he is a hybrid! He’s half-vampire, half-human. So he can walk under sunlight, no problem.”

Though her questions were answered, Laina still was not sure how to proceed. She walked over to the young man. 

“Can you understand what I’m saying?” Laina asked him. 

She lifted his face up so that she could get a better look at him. Laina was surprised to see he had a muzzle over his mouth. His eyes were glacier blue, enchanting, and filled with mystery. She could see the contract seal that had been burnt into his chest. 

The wound was still red and raw. His frame was skeletal at best, it was as if he had not eaten in days! 

“Do you understand my words?” she asked him again. 

He looked straight into her eyes and nodded. 

“He’s apparently been trained to not speak unless ordered to,” Margaret explained as she walked over. 

“Margaret, sometimes I wonder what sort of circles you mingle in. Getting hold of a slave in Kinshearth? Was that not a banned practice already?” Laina sighed as she continued to assess the young man. 

Margaret shrugged her shoulders, pretending as if she did not know what Laina was talking about. The Crown Princess rolled her eyes at her handmaiden’s response. Recently, she felt as if her handmaid was a lot more mysterious than she was leading on. 

“Do you have a name?” Laina asked the hybrid. 

He shook his head. Laina nodded. Although she did not like having someone following everywhere she went, she could not bear for the young man to be sent back to the slavers market either. 

She would just have to make do with him. Laina clapped her hands together. The young man flinched. 

“Alright, Margaret, I will take him on as my bodyguard. But, you are in charge of his training.”

“As you wish, my princess,” Margaret curtsied. 

She walked over to Laina’s side and removed the hybrid’s muzzle. A gentle tap on the cuffs around his hands and came right off, falling to the ground with a clank. Margaret stood protectively in front of Laina, in fear that the hybrid might attack. 

But he was meek and quiet, silently standing there. He was waiting for an order to be given. Margaret carefully pricked Laina’s finger and squeezed it. Blood formed on her finger. Before she could even give the order, the hybrid’s pupils turned ruby red and he reached for Laina’s hand. 

He lifted it close to his mouth and licked the blood off her finger. Laina stood there, as still as she could. Margaret was worried that the hybrid might go into bloodlust, wanting to sink his fangs into Laina’s wrist to drain more of her blood. 

But he did not. 

He released Laina’s hand and closed his eyes. The contract seal on his chest burnt bright red for a moment, before disappearing completely. All that was left was a soft red glow on his skin that slowly faded away. 

“The contract seal is complete,” Margaret declared, “All he needs now is a name.”

“A name…” 

Laina pondered deep in thought for a moment. She came up with the perfect name. 

“From this day forward, your name is Kol.”