Everyone was immediately on high alert. Titan's bark alerted the dark shadow too. At first, it stood near the entrance of the mansion. But as soon as it heard Titan's bark, it jolted and began to move cautiously.

Laina clicked her fingers. In an instant, all the lights in and around the mansion lit up. The bright light was glaring in the darkness. It took some of them a few moments to adjust to the harsh lights. Her quick thinking successfully stunned the intruder in his tracks.

"Don't move!" Laina yelled as they walked up towards the mansion.

Dante, and the other, all had their hands on their weapons. In case of a dangerous situation, they were ready to fight. But as they got closer and closer, it soon became clear as to who it was at their doorstep.

The man had both his hands up in the air.

"You are the last person I expect to see," Laina said as she folded her arms, "Hello cousin."

"Or should I address you as, Your Majesty?"

"I'll make quick work of him, my dear," Dante said as he came up to Laina's side, "The throne would be my gift to you."

King Ethan gulped. He could tell from the tone of Dante's voice that he meant every word he said.

"I come in peace, King Dante. I wish to speak with my cousin," Ethan quickly explained.

"Let me cut him down, Laina," Florin came out of the shadows, "I will drain him dry and feed his corpse to the wolves."

Laina sighed as she shook her head.

"Thank you, for all of your kind offers. But that's not what I want," she added.

Everyone lowered their weapons, waiting to see what Laina would do next. All of them were glaring at him. After what he pulled at the coronation, they were eager to tear him apart for what he had done. He had messed with the wrong woman.

"Thank you, Laina," Ethan thanked her as he heaved a sigh of relief.

She could tell from his nervous expression that he had come to her for a favor. Furthermore, he was shivering in the cold. It seemed as if he was unprepared for the weather in Luzernia.

"I just didn't want your blood to cover my front yard, that's all," Laina declared nonchalantly, "Don't put down your guard so soon."

Ethan gulped. He gritted his teeth. If he had another solution, he would not have come all this way to look for Laina. This was the last place he wanted to be. the last thing he wanted to do.

He had no other options.

He had to turn to her for help.

"Since you've come all this way, how about a cup of hot chocolate?" Laina asked as she patted him on the back before heading towards the door. historical

Everyone else followed Laina into the mansion. Each of them stared Ethan down as they walked past him. Their eyes were filled with menace. One misstep and he would be dead. No one would be able to find his body in the snow.

He had to play his cards right if he wanted to live. He cursed beneath his breath.

"I've come this far," he muttered under his breath as he turned to enter the house.

Ethan settled down in the living room as the fireplace roared to life, bringing warmth to the room. Everyone else was huddled in the kitchen with Laina as she prepare the hot chocolate. Only Titan was in the living room. He laid down near the fireplace, looking in Ethan's direction.

It had been a long and fun-filled day for Titan. Though his eyelids were getting a little heavy, he kept his eyes open and focused on Ethan. Occasionally, he barred his teeth as a sign of warning to him.

Ethan could feel the stare of the Solar Mastiff. He tried to look elsewhere or focus on the sound of the crackling fire. But it did not work. The feeling of being watched sent a shiver down his spine. There was nothing he could do but to wait it out.

"I've already come this far," he muttered to himself as he tightened his grip around his hands.

In the kitchen, a conversation of whispers was in full swing. They were discussing Ethan's presence.

"Laina, why did you let him in? We should have asked him to leave!" Margaret chided.

"This must be a trap. He must be plotting something." Marius added.

Florin shook his head, "I don't think so. He came alone. No guards at all."

"Maybe they're hiding in the surrounding area. It's so dark outside we can barely see a thing, to begin with," Margaret theorized.

Kol joined in on the conversation, "No, he came alone. There is no one else out there apart from the forest animals."

"What do you think, Laina?" Dante asked.

All of them turned to look at her. The kettle began to whistle as the water inside it came to a boil. She carefully took it off the fire and poured equal amounts of hot water into the mugs.

"Can all of you do me a favor?" she asked as she continued to make the hot chocolate.

"Of course."

"Yeah, what is it, Laina?"

"I need all of you..." Laina placed the two cups of hot chocolate on a tray and turned around to face them, "to go upstairs. I will talk to him in private."

Just as she was about to leave the kitchen with the tray in her hands, Kol stepped into her path. He shook his head.

"No, it's too dangerous," he said.

Everyone else agreed. Laina let out a sigh. She appreciated all of them being so protective over her. But this was all part of her plan.

"I have this covered. I can defend myself against Ethan. He wouldn't even be able to lay a finger on me," she reassured them.

As she looked at each one of them, she continued, "This is all going according to my plan."

"Your plan?" Margaret echoed in confusion, "What plan?"

Laina grinned, "It will be revealed in time. But for now, trust me. It's going smoothly."

Before anyone could protest again, Laina spoke first, "I appreciate the concern from all of you, but I can handle this on my own. Alright?"

None of them dared to say anything any further. Dante walked over to the counter and took two canisters. He opened the first one and poured a handful of marshmallows into each mug. Then, he sprinkled cocoa powder on them both.

Lastly, he gave Laina a kiss on her forehead before she headed out into the living room. The rest were just about to protest when he put his finger on his lips and shook his head. He pointed his index finger upwards, signaling all of them to head on up for the night.

None of them dared to say anything else. They quietly made their way up, but they did not return to their rooms.. Instead, they made themselves comfortable as they listened in on the conversation down below.