Lyne rode her horse gently towards the people's residence as they crossed the green fields. The sun was just rising and her wardrobe maid had been wise enough to choose light wear for her that morning, knowing how sunny the day will be. She wore a white robe over a blue gown and a golden belt around her waist, not fixing it too tightly because of her stomach. 

Zeidan rode right beside her and he looked handsome in his black royal robe, spread over his white horse and a golden cap-like crown that had initials engraved on it in rubies. He looked exquisite and all royalty. 

"I think it's a good idea you asked us to come here." Zeidan began to say as they saw houses from afar coming into view.

Various guards fell in behind them, some of their carts bearing bags of food, fruits, and plenty of amenities needed by the bottom feeders.

"It is essential. This is exactly what they need after the attack. Just for them to know we have them in mind."

"I hope so."

Gradually, they arrived at the square where people lived in tent-like houses. They must be the bottom feeders. She thought. They used to have bottom feeders back in South Park but then, not as many as these. Probably because the population grows rapidly in Vampire City compared to South Park. 

"It's the King and the Princess everyone!" 

Lyne heard someone cry from afar and soon, people began to come out of their tents to see them. They gathered around until they were many but they didn't look more like bottom feeders. They looked comfortable with their lives.

Lyne smiled and she felt Zeidan's face on her. He wasn't smiling at the people! 

As she turned to look at him, their eyes met and a red blush filled her face.

Soon, the hailing died down and they continued their journey. Which didn't surprise her anyway. They don't look like the bottom feeders to her. As they rode on, Zeidan came closer.

"You always did have a special love in your heart for my people."

"Yep. Probably why I married one."

He grinned. "Trying to be sweet this morning, are we?"

"It's the fresh air. Trying to wrap my head around knowing this place and getting familiar with it."

Zeidan sobered. "Talking about being familiar. How are you preparing for the war?"

"Slow." She shook her head. "I'm trying to prepare hard but every time I think about the fact that I'm carrying a fragile body inside of me, I just have to slow down."

"That explains a lot."

"I know."

"Your appointment with Stevenson?"

"I looked him up some time ago and he said I'm okay. If Shelbrooke attacks anytime now, I can still fight but with caution. I can't afford to lose the baby."

"Maybe not fighting with the baby will make her safe."

Lyne glared at him and he bit his lips, stopping himself from saying further. "Right."

They soon approached a square much more different than the one they left. This one looked different and shabby and instead of tents or brick-made houses, they had houses made from rocks and a small space serving as the door. The cave-like abode faced one another.

"These," she blurted, mouth agape. "Are the bottom feeders?"

"Obviously." He replied casually.

She stopped riding.

"And you're comfortable knowing that you have this kind of people in your city?"

"You don't understand. It's easy if they want the involvement of the leaders. It's useless if they don't. So why try?"

"What do you mean?"

She kicked her horse to move again and Zeidan looked at her stomach.

"Soon, I'll stop you from riding that way and start using carts. Especially when you have a baby bump." He diverted.

"Zeidan?" Lyne called his attention but someone else cried out.

"The King is here." 

They stopped riding and instead of the usual hailing as the previous one, they just began to come out of the cave and stared at them. Something was off about them. They were uncivilized, unlike the previous Vampires she had met. They wore animal skin as dresses and most of them looked old. They had spiky hairs, blistered and rough skin, weird eye colors, and weird properties like spears which are probably used for hunting, and axe for cutting out houses from rocks. Ancient.

Her heart skipped a beat at that word. What was it that made them so familiar?

"Now you see why they can't be helped," Zeidan muttered as he walked up to her and helped her down.

They moved closer to the people, wary of their steps and when they were at a safer space, they paused. 

"Greetings to you all. Good people, brave people. News reached us about the effect of the war on you and we have decided to..."

His voice trailed off as Lyne began to look around until her eyes fell on a boy looking out from behind a rock. He had spiked hair and dark eyes. He wore animal skin around his waist. For a while, she kept her gaze on the people, constantly looking at the boy as well.

"Do I have to start chasing you about before I get to know why you have been staring at me?"

Lyne finally asked the boy as she showed up behind him. 

He looked back, face pale. Before he tried to run, she grabbed his arm.

"Hey!"

"Help! Please, Princess Lyne, I'm sorry."

"Look," she pulled his shoulders so that he was looking at her squarely. "Calm down. What's wrong with you?"

"We found a Werecat."

Her mind went numb.

"What?"

"Yes. My parents knocked him out and wanted to bring him to the palace. But...she killed them and brought the Werecat herself."

"What?! Luana?"