Matthew looked at the large mansion that they had just arrived at. It was a very large mansion, with strong walls and many windows and ledges and stuff. Matthew sighed, and looked at his older sister with a slight smile. "You think anything changed since we were last here?" he asked her, as Diana, his personal servant, carried most of his stuff to his room. His prized amulet, which has a large ruby in the center, was shining in the sun, handing from his neck. He also had his royal cloak, with its royan insignea, on, and his crown. These 3 things were his most prized possessions, and he never left without them. He then also asked/said playfully "Well, are we going to stand around here or go in?". At that point he began to go up the stairs to the large front door, which of course was open, and walked inside, seeing everything.

This was one of his most favorite times of all. He had a very busy schedule, and therefore, when he came here, he was truly happy, as this was the time where he had the most time to do what he wanted to do. He looked all over, and looked for anyone else who was here yet. He always felt happy when they arrived here.

Feynriel Looked to her younger brother thoughtfully as he gazed about the mansion. Even though she was was older he was taller. She sighed and turned her gaze to the mansion upon his question. "I wouldn't believe so." She looked over her shoulder as Valene approached with her bags in hand. "Valene dearest, take that to my room. The one with lots of sunlight, you remember? When your done, if no one has arrived shall we have tea together?" The butler nodded casting his glance towards the mansion. She smiled and turned to go after her brother who had gone in.

She stepped inside looking about. "Yes. Nothing has really changed." She chuckled to herself and walked along the hall to the grand staircase. She set her hand upon the rail to steady herself as she watched her brother search for others. "I don't believe anyone has arrived yet Matthew. Give it some time." She spoke to her brother who passed the staircase coming within hearing distance. She heard a few echoing thumps probably coming from the luggage being set down on the floors of their rooms. Feynriel sighed once more and walked up the stairs a little more to get to one of the small windows that looked out upon the driveway. Seeing nothing she shook her head and continued the rest of the way up the stairs.

Feynriel paused in the doorway of her room watching Valene go to work with diligence. She spotted the music box on the writing desk and figured that Valene had set it there for her interests. Since it did hold her most precious belonging. Valene turned finally noticing her presence. "Sorry. I was simply watching. You could say keeping myself busy." Valene blinked then turned back around to finish up his work. She moved over to take a seat at the window watching the moat with dull interest. She wanted the others to come. Specially the angel family. She liked Akemi for the fact that it seemed like the girl's happiness split off onto her own. "So innocent." Valene turned giving her a strange look and she in return smiled. "Sorry." "It's no problem mistress. Would you like your tea now? While you wait?" "I'm fine, you don't need to rush." "I'll have your tea ready presently." Feynriel chuckled softly as he exited and she turned to attention back to the window. "Well then, I do believe I see the next family to arrive."

'Another forced summer vacation. How will I ever manage to survive this one?" Princess Helaine examined the manor she would be spending a portion of her summer in with skepticism. She didn't have anything against any of the other children from other kingdoms, nor did she mind getting a break from her hectic life, but she still would have preferred to be home. "Take my things to the violet and golden bedroom, I'll unpack myself." She snapped her fingers and Henrik-her personal butler- immediately picked up her belongings and carried them to her usual room in the mansion. "Please be extra careful with the red trunk, I have my ballgown in there." She grinned, Laine could always count on him to do as she asked without hesitation. The masquerade ball was her favorite event of the summer and perhaps the only reason she kept agreeing, without complaint, to stay at the vacation home.

The vampiress ascended the stairs and went inside, looking around to see if anyone else had already arrived. "Am I the first to arrive?" She shrugged off any concern and went straight to her room just as Henrik finished placing the last piece of luggage in a neat pile. "Thank you dear, please do tell my mother and father that I've arrived safely." She brushed past him on his way out the door and knelt down by her suitcases. This was the only time she demanded that all her servants remain back at the kingdom, it gave her breathing room to do as she pleased without anyone getting in the way. She may have been waited on hand and foot her whole life, but Helaine was perfectly capable of taking care of herself. She was, after all, turning eighteen in three weeks time.

With all of her things packed away in a neat and orderly manner, the princess decided to go exploring outside. She remembered there being a lake somewhere around the premise and wanted to find it so that she could go for a night-swim later on in the evening.

Dante sighed and looked out the lake through the window. He opened it with a soft click and looked out at the clear sky. " It isn't too bad here, I guess." He murmured, half to himself, half to his maid, Hannah. She was straightening his blankets and she looked up at him, smiling nervously, a bit of stray hair falling into her somewhat gaunt, but not unhealthy features. "I suppose, sir." Dante turned and flashed one of his rare grins. He went to a shelf and dug through it, and soon enough he pulled out a small, silver flute. Walking to the window again at a swift pace, Hannah cried out in alarm. "S-Sir! Don't-" "It's fine. I'll be all right. I'm getting a little bored just sitting in my room, for once." He threw off his long coat and exploded through the open window at full speed, his wings a flurry of blue and black. He swooped down to the rooftop quite easily, enjoying the fresh air. He tilted his head upwards and closed his eyes, letting the moment of silence sink in. He opened them and took out his flute, pressing it to his lips lightly. He began to play a gentle, clear melody that he had heard from long ago... He could never remember where. It pried at his mind and his brow furrowed in irritation. He dropped his arm and let out a small hiss of annoyance, and searched his memory a bit more. It was no use.... He simply had no idea where he had last heard it. He shrugged. This would be an interesting summer, he thought to himself curiously.

The thudding clop-clop-clop of Prince Raelen's shaggy Clydesdale added its' thrumming beat to the summers' day. As always, the hardy man refused to ride inside the carriage with his sister and royal servants; how could he pass up such a beautiful day? Peering at the world through one eye, the Prince was half tempted to flip up his eye patch. However, he could see the glowering castle peeking over the horizon and knew better of it—they would not understand his plight, nor his scars. Ever since he'd been a child he'd worn the silken eye patch, with only his sister ever seeing what lied beneath it. It was a family secret, after all. A slight smile tugged at his lips as he tipped his head back, surveying the treeline. He remembered once when Matthew had been curious and nearly plucked it from his face, he hadn't been paying attention and had to lightly scold the young Prince. Now that they were nearing the summer castle, he was excited to see the youngster. There was something about him that managed to make him smile; perhaps, it was an innocence he was not used to seeing back in his kingdom.

Raelen's gloved hand caressed his steeds sweaty neck, and in return, the stallion nickered. Without his great warhorse, he didn't know where he would be. Azazel had been a gift from his father—much to his chagrin—on his twentieth birthday, the only gift he truly appreciated. Till the end of time, he would grow old by its' side; his companionship was always appreciated, whereas other folk bothered him with idle prattle. He reigned his horse towards the carriage, and rapped his knuckles on the wooden window. “We near our destination, Bell!” He called gruffly, allowing himself to grin. Surely his sister was as excited as he was. It wasn't often that they were allowed a small moment of requiem; away from responsibilities, away from tattered parchments, away from boring decisions; away from their stern father and rigid mother. Surely, she was, wasn't she?

“Do—do mind your m—manners, Prince Raelen. Follow your s-sisters example, you're father will be awfully a-angry at me if you act f-foolishly.” An old tittering voice jarred between the windows panes, followed by a series of wracking coughs. Who might he be, you wonder? Old Councillor Cresil; master of ceremonies, and obnoxiously his father's right hand. Raelen often wondered when the old croon would pass on to the Old God's, where he belonged, and leave them alone. There wasn't a moment where the grey-haired man wasn't wagging his crinkled fingers at them, wishing they'd act right and proper. “I hear you fine, Cresil, no need to make yourself ill,” Prince Raelen responded warily, before adding, “ Though, I will meet you at the gates, there are no enemies to meet my blade here.”

Squeezing Azazel's flanks, the hulking Clydesdale broke into a strong canter; a few strides short of graceful, but a handful of thumping steps tougher. Their kingdoms insignia hung heavy at his throat, embedded into the metal rings he wore around his neck. His father had suggested they were something formal for their meeting, but he hadn't understood why—so, he didn't bother. All of the other Princes and Princesses had already met them before, why would he dress up for them? It wasn't as if they were being betrothed to each other. He spat at the thought, gripping the leather reigns tightly. Inter-species marriages weren't allowed. He wasn't even sure what he felt about the matter. Something bright caught his eye, though he couldn't be completely sure what it was. It was only when he heard the welcoming sounds of a flute that Raelen laughed, smoothing his fingers through his hair. "Prince Rouleaux..." He whispered, shielding his eyes to see if he could spot the rivalling Prince. They shared a healthy rivalry, or so he believed.

It didnt take Matthew long to spot the others coming. After all, he did climb to the tallest point on the whole building, on the roof, to watch everything from below. Few people knew he could climb up to the roof. Even fewer knew he did do it a lot. But it wasnt agaisnt the rules, so it never really came up much. Besides, he did have Lycan agility and strength. He could survive the fall and land on 2 feet. Well, except perhaps from the tallest point, but he was very agile and lightweight, and therefore, the chance of him actually falling was slim to none.

He watched as the first one to arrive after them was the Vampire Princess, although he did not see the Vampire Prince. Was he in some other way here? He then spotted the Angel Prince, and Demon Prince. Almost at the same time. This would be interesting. He watched as those 2 glared down each other, or at least, the Demon Prince glared the Angel Prince down. He never quite understood why Raelen and Dante did this. He really didn't. However, he had seen enough for now, and decided to see exactly what was going on down there. He dropped down slowly, only the main rooftop, and began to climb down the walls with a quick speed, getting to the bottom incredibly quickly, and making his way inside.

"Dante, Raelen! Long time no see! Hi!" he announced, with a smile. He was a very cheery person. Which is exactly why he can never old a Eforus, or "Emotion Stole", because most of the time if not all, it would glow a bright yellow as bright as the sun. Actually, it was believed for some time this happiness combined with that stone could destroy the Vampires. He looked at both of them and asked "So whats new everyone?". Although, if you could tell, the real question was "Notice anything new?", which would be the crown. His official prince crown, custom made. His crown glistened. Almost as much as his amulet. His amulet however was not new, he always had it. Always. Al-ways.

She stared out of the carriage at the scenery around them, her brother had once again chose to ride outside the carriage but it was fine with her, she thought he should enjoy himself seeing as the two were finally free. At least for a little while. She thought as she closed and rested her eyes, she let herself slouch comfortably in the carriage seats which caused the servants riding with her to titter and lightly scold her posture, but stayed as she was. "Loosen up a bit, It's a nice day and my back hurts, surely just doing this once won't hurt?" She questioned, opening one eye to look at them and even offered a smile. "Why dont you guys relax also? We could all use some relaxation" She said souftly as she thought back just awhile ago when her an her brother were about to leave.

She almost rolled her eyes at the memory, her mother had packed about 500 dresses for this trip. "One for the ride there, one to change into once you've arrived, another to roam around in and for dinner" She had recalled her mother telling her among other things. The moment she got into the carriage she changed right there with her servants inside, but still chose a nice and slightly formal outfit. A soft, dark green sweater with their emblen on the right breast, a black, flowy skirt that swish with every step she took and comfortable wedges. She loved wearing dresses, but feared wearing them because of the jagged scar the marked her back.

At hearing her brother call out about their location, a smile played across her lips as she turned and stuck her half of her tiny body out of the window as she watched the kingdom get closer and closer. She was excited and was itching to get out and greet the other Princes and Princesses. As they pulled up, she smiled at watching Matthew near and call out to her brother and the Angel Prince, Dante. Her eye brows rose at te crown as she continued to hang out of the carriage window, placing her chin in her hand as she called out teasingly, "What? No hello to me? Why I'm hurt!"

Dante made his way down the roof, and in a minute he emerged out of the huge doors of the castle, meeting the people outside. He smiled and folded his wings over his back, arranging them carefully. "It's nice to see everyone again." He said, in his quiet, reedy voice that was much like the instrument he played. He pushed his raven black hair back carelessly, and stuffed his flute back into his pocket for safe keeping. He turned to the carriage with Isabella Night leaning out of it and blinked, and shielded his eyes momentarily from the sharp glare of the sun bouncing off the young prince Matthew's crown, grinning. He enjoyed the boy's enthusiasm just as much as Raelen, in some ways admiring his cheerfulness. Dante sighed and straightened his crisp white shirt, and leaned on the stone doors absently, wondering if anyone else would arrive soon.

Prince Raelen turned his steed in a small circle before swinging his leg from his saddle, landing deftly beside the stone steps. His eyes hadn't left the Angel Prince lounging on the roof, flute held poised between his fingers. As cheeky as a bastard, he flashed a brilliant smile and saluted him with two fingers. He often wondered whether or not the stoic Prince did anything for fun, it seemed that he enjoyed everyone's company but withheld from actually smiling. It was strange. Finally, he turned his attention back to the snorting horse and murmured soft, gentle words to calm him, patting at its' neck with his gloved hands. Soon enough, a stable hand jogged into view and he dismissed him with his companion, making note to tell the boy to brush him down and feed him fresh carrots; he loved those dearly, and with the long ride it was well deserved.

As soon as Raelen turned around, he was facing Matthew; the young Lycan Prince. Who knew how long he'd been standing there. Several times he'd caught the youngster traipsing the walls and rooftops while croons called after him. He had no doubt that Matthew would never fall. He exuded a sort of confidence only the young possessed, because when you grew older fear became something real. “Prince Matthew!” He bellowed, thumping his chest in his boisterous greeting. “Nothing out of the ordinary—no wars waged, no countries taken—quite boring, actually... but wait,” He explained, gesturing with his fingers until his voice lowered to a conspicuous drawl. His fingers caught hold of his chin and he scratched, as if he'd missed something and he was trying to put his finger on it. Slippery as a snaked, Raelen circled Matthew and exclaimed, “Aha! I know what it is... a new haircut? No? Hrm, no, no, of course not. You've gotten taller!” When he saw Matthew's expression, he grinned wildly and pressed his hand to the boys' shoulder.

“I jest. A crown befit a king,” Prince Raelen expressed jovially. He was thoughtful for a moment. His lovely sister lounged through the carriages window, bouncing with every bump. It was only when the carriage rumbled to a halt that he turned to regard her, flashing another smile. For once, they would be free, even if it was only for a few moments. “How could anyone forget you, Bell?” He called back, rocking on his heels. Dante's quiet figure pushed through the door, his magnificent bluejay wings folded carefully on his back. Sometimes, he envied such things. He stepped up the smooth stairs, halting mid-step to turn back towards his companions. “Has anyone else arrived?” He gave voice to Dante's unasked question, followed by an upraised brow.

Matthew had a clear smile that showed how he was glad to see them all. He also then noted something else, with all his excitement of wanting to show them it, "Notice anything new also?". He then looked at Bella, as he called her, and noted "Bella! Nice to see you too! Anything new for you? And you know i could never forget about you! Also, i have some big news of my own! You know my trainer i told you about last year? Well, he said that i got so much better, he now wears a full suit of armor, and a longer sword, when we train!". He had a huge grin on his face now, but of course, anyone who had seen him with a sword and bow knows how well he is with them. Of course, it helps to have the best trainers for 40 miles at least, possibly and most likely much much more, but still.

He then also noted "And Raelen, really? Did you have any assassination attempts or invasions at all? You have to have had one. We had like 20-30! Oh, and there was this one attack with a dragon. Not a match for the fully armed forces of the Lycan Elite Guard and their advanced Lycan Form training, but still. oh, and there was this really awesome festival in the spring. There was all sorts of stuff. And then, we had a huge party! I think i may have passed out, not quite sure what i had to drink though. It was pretty tasty though." he went on and on, until finally running out of breath. If there is one thing Matthew can do, it would be.....actually, it cant just be one thing. Matthew is good at many things. I mean, he is obviously not perfect. Otherwise he probably would have stopped talking a long tiem ago. But he is still pretty skilled.

He then looked back at Raelen and noted "Thank you. I wonder what it will be like when i become king. Will it be hard, easy, long lived, short lived, great, overworking, fun, boring, demanding, enjoyable, and a lot more." He took another breath, and then continued "So when are the others coming. And what do you guys want to do? There is always the lake out back for swimming,or if you want, one of you could try to dual me again. Oh, or maybe we could find a deck of cards. Or have some fun with archery. I am really up for anything, although since its summer, perhaps swimming, seeing as how its hot outside, would be our best idea?". at this point, Matthew stopped talking and began to catch his breath while letting the others answer. He was just so happy to see all of his friends he had not seen since last summer.

She hopped out of the carriage full as smiles as she neared them, clasping her hands in front of her excitedly. "That's amazing! That means we should catch up with our friendly sparring sessions? I bet i'm a bit rusty." She chuckled softly as her skirt swished as she walked, she listened as they talked, smiling here an there but had found herself facing the complete opposite direction, staring off and letting herself take a deep breath of fresh air. Had it been this nice..? Shw thought to herself, tuning back into the convo about him being King.

"Whatever it feels like, I know you'll be a great king! And as tempting as shooting some arrows sound, you know I have to take advantage of swimming at the lake" She smiled, wrapping her arms around Matthew in a hug before turning and giving him a playful punch on the shoulder as she walked backward towards the carriage to get her things. "Behave while Im gone? It goes for all of you" she joked as she stuffed a bag full of swim stuff along wither her camera and her journal. "Cya later boys" She called back as she hurried towards the lake, almost flying there. Wanna make it there before anyone else! she thought as she made it to the still lake.

Smiling, she dropped her things and, after looking around, quickly slipped into her bikini and into the warm water, not wanting to leave her back exposed for too long as she let her body float in the water. She reached back, running her finger over the long, jagged scar before yanking her hand away. With deep sigh, she sunk herself under one and disappear into the water of the lake, only a few bubbles detected before it was still.