I am not a daughter of the vampire queen!

She found herself walking on a cobblestone path surrounded by beautiful, cheery blossoms. From time to time, Julia saw a lantern illuminating the path with soft candlelight. The path on which she walked felt endless as if it started nowhere and led nowhere. As if, by walking on it, you would just get back to the place where you started.

Was that there before? She stopped to think. A redwood gate stood just less than 10 meters in front of her. The gate was formed by two pillars, with their bases reinforced by heavy-looking stones. While the top of the gate was formed by a straight beam connecting the two pillars. And above it, another beam that was protruding from the side was placed.

Just like the gate. Within a single blink, the endless path behind the gate turned into a stone staircase with a railing made of the same redwood as the gate. At the base of the stairs, two stone statues depicting foxes stood as if they were guard dogs.

Julia nervously stepped forward onto the stairs, climbing them up. all the while wondering what this place is.

Once she climbed up, a building built of redwood in an architectural style she didn’t recognize entered her sight. And at what appeared to be an altar, a beautiful woman with a golden fox tail and ears, dressed in a white blouse and red skirt, was smoking a pipe.

The woman looked familiar to Julia, yet she couldn’t point out why. The whole area was silent, with the only sound being the occasional soft jingle of a bell. Seemingly coming from nowhere. Under the gust of silence, Julia makes a few steps toward the altar.

"What thou desire?"

The fox lady swayed her tail and looked at Julia with immeasurable contempt and arrogance.

"I believe you knew them, oh goddess."

A young man's foreign voice responded to the fox lady. Yet Julia couldn’t spot anyone other than herself and the fox woman.

"Does thou only desire a sister? Does thou wish for non-else?"

The lady sounded disinterested as she questioned the unknown male voice.

"Of course, if Lady goddess allows me. Then I would like to be-"

Julia didn’t hear what the voice said, but she was certain that the fox lady smiled.

"Then that shall be so. but be warned, life is not a fairy tale."

A jingle of a bell echoed again, and all of the surroundings disappeared. Julia was left in a dark void. Soon the void was replaced by a flash of bright light, and Julia felt as if she were drowning. No matter what, she simply couldn’t breathe.

"ahh!"

Julia was covered in a cold sweat as she began taking deep breaths. Once she calmed down a bit, she found herself laying in a soft bed located in a luxurious room. Am I back home?

Julia listened carefully. After her involuntary scream, Loriam would drop whatever she was doing and run to check on her. or, at least, she hoped so. As seconds turned into minutes, no sound was heard from outside the room.

Julia had a bad feeling. If her mother wasn’t rushing to her side, something must have happened.

"Where am I even?"

Only now did Julia take a more proper look at the room she was in. It definitely looked like it was a room in some palace or mansion. But it wasn’t in the royal palace that she was used to.  

Though there was a scarlet banner with the winged sword crest hanging on the wall, none of the furniture looked to be vampiric. The bed, the desk with a chair, and the bookshelf in the corner were all filled with books in a language that Julia had a faint feeling was the language of succubi.

Lily was lying on the bed with her. She was nicely curled up, sleeping soundly, completely unharmed. Julia let out a sigh of relief that Lily was safe. Leaning against the bed was Kana, still in her sword form.

Based on the clues, it didn’t appear that she was in enemy territory. After all, who in their right mind would let their prisoner have a weapon? But why did they attack us then? Julia wondered.

As she recalled, when they approached the city, a rain of arrows flew at them. after which highly skilled assassins or something assaulted her troops as well as her personality. If she recalled correctly, the assassins were not vampires but beastmen. But all signs showed that it was a vampire-held place. Could it be that there are traitors plotting to overthrow Loriam?

Julia’s thoughts were interrupted when Lily turned around, burying her face in Julia’s lap. By instinct, Julia patted Lily’s head, briefly forgetting about the pressing matter of where they were now.

Julia comes back to reality when she hears a gentle knock on the door. Julia was startled and reached for Kana.

"Please excuse me."

Without waiting for her to respond, a cat-eared woman dressed in a maid outfit entered the room. In her hands was a trail of food, which she then placed on the table. Julia observed the woman with distrust.

"Please enjoy."

The maid bowed and turned around to leave. At that moment, Julia ran to the maid and placed Kana’s blade at her neck.

"Did I displease you?"

The maid froze in place and asked without any fear in her voice. Julia pressed the blade closer to her neck, drawing a little bit of blood.

"Where am I? and who are you?"

"This is the city of Turhal. As for who I am, I am merely a servant delighted to be at your service, your majesty."

The maid sounded proud of the fact as she talked. Julia was slightly taken aback to be referred to as "your majesty". That would have been the last thing she would have wanted to happen. After all, it would mean that Loriam was dead.

"If you are here to serve me, then get me out of here."

Julia said it coldly. The maid may not have been the best accomplice to escape, but it was far better than nothing. At the very least, she should know the layout of this place.

"That won’t be possible. I am under strict order to abide by any of your wishes, except that one."

The maid spoke with regret in her voice. Then she grabbed Julia’s hand and pressed Kana’s blade against her neck more.

"If you wish, I will atone with my life."

The maid declared without the slightest hint of hesitation in her voice. Julia sighed and took Kana away from the maid’s neck.

"Go."

"Your majesty."

The maid bowed and left, leaving Julia, Kana, and Lily, who in the meantime woke up alone. Julia scratched Lily’s ears and took the food trail. Looks like the people in charge thought about Lily too.

Julia gave Lily a plate containing steak, and she herself likewise took her plate. Lily knew her master well enough to recognize when she was upset, even when she did her best not to let it show. Lily was however able to notice it, and so she was now silently eating. Letting her tail and ears move around, in order to let her master calm down with Lily’s cuteness.

They ate in silence for several minutes. When the food was almost gone, Julia broke the silence.

"Who in their right mind would want to imprison me? Don’t they know what Loriam is capable of?"

"Maybe they don’t want to keep the master as a prisoner."

Lily offered her opinion. As a slave, she knew what being imprisoned looked like, and this didn’t feel like it.

"I was told they would not let me leave this room, so yes, we are imprisoned."

Julia looked out the window with a sigh. The city covered with snow would make for a beautiful sight. If she would be able to take a walk there. Hm? What is happening there? Julia looked at the commotion happening in the city.

…

"Your highness."

A fox-eared woman and a young succubus saluted as a young silver-haired vampire girl got off the carriage. The girl only slightly nodded to them and walked towards the mansion in the center of the city. all the while a group of women in black surrounded her.

"Your highness, we weren’t expecting you so soon. I am afraid that if the palace in Henxi didn’t suit you, then this place won't suffice."

Succubus emerged from the entrance of the mansion and kneeled in front of the girl. The girl gestures for her to get up, before speaking.

"I don’t care about luxury. There are more important things."

She looked up at the windows of the rooms. I am home, eldest sister.