Two days after Rynelle had agreed to host her in the castle—after an entire month of persistent insistence—Hanami finally got the chance to stand before King Ronel. The first thought that crossed her mind was:
''Alright. My clingy side finally paid off. Now I just have to convince him.''
Following Aoolis tradition, Hanami knelt on one knee and lowered her head.
"Your Majesty," she said.
Ronel simply observed her in silence. He took a deep breath and exhaled to calm himself. Then he spoke:
"Rynelle has informed me of everything concerning you, even that incident in my beloved daughter's room. The offense is extremely serious, and the punishment would be immediate, but only because I trust Rynelle will I give you the benefit of the doubt."
Hanami opened her eyes, revealing her crimson irises, and replied:
"I won't waste your time, Your Majesty, and I'll be direct. I am deeply grateful to you, but especially to your daughter. This has nothing to do with her family's status; I have always been a grateful woman throughout all my decades of life. However, on this occasion, I would like to become friends with your daughter, the princess."
Ronel leaned back against his throne and listened attentively. Rynelle stood to Hanami's left, slightly behind her.
Flanking the imposing figure of the king were two guards. Both were covered in white hoods and white attire, holding axes vertically, with the handles pointing upward and the blades resting on the ground.
"That's all I want: to be her friend. The reason I went this far is because it was her condition. And I could never feel at ease with her if I had her protectors as enemies."
Ronel rested his cheek on his fist and stroked his short, brown beard as he pondered.
''She doesn't inspire any trust in me,'' Ronel thought. ''But if Rynelle's report is correct, she's shown no signs of being an enemy, and she's even been alone with Irene… Does she have a hidden motive? Why would anyone want to use my daughter as bait? And if I combine that with the way she appeared in my garden out of nowhere, it all becomes even more suspicious.''
He crossed his legs and, without breaking his confident posture on the throne, spoke:
"I see that you are a witch, as well as a vampire."
"Yes, that's right. I study magic; that's how I earned my living before becoming a slave. Although over the years, I lost practice."
"And why did you become a slave in the first place?"
Hanami relaxed her eyelids, lowered her gaze, and a fleeting memory of a man flashed through her mind.
"Someone betrayed me a long… long time ago. Since then, I lived as a slave until my masters died. The contract binding me to them expired. If a master dies without handing you over to someone else, you are free. That's the law."
Ronel directed a question to Rynelle, who remained as calm and composed as ever.
"What's your opinion? These days, you're closer to my daughter than I could ever be."
"Honestly, I don't understand this woman's decisions. I have no idea what kind of eyes she has to look at the princess that way, but no matter how much I think about it, I detect no lies in her words. And although it is a very serious offense, it's true she didn't harm the princess when they were alone. I spoke with the princess at length about the matter, and I made her promise she was not under any threat."
Hanami smiled where she knelt and said:
"I could never threaten that innocent little fox."
Rynelle took a moment to think and then suggested:
"What if we give her a position here in the castle?"
"Explain," the king said, taking the idea almost as an offense.
"She swears she only wants to be friends with the princess. Instead, the condition would be that she joins the castle guard and earns her position. I would have soldiers watch her day and night; she wouldn't be able to do anything suspicious."
"And what if I became one of her bodyguards?" Hanami asked.
Rynelle snorted mockingly at the idea and replied:
"You wish."
"Actually, yes, I do," she said softly, with a coquettish glance.
Rynelle met Hanami's gaze. The cold intensity of the elf's blue clashed against the fiery crimson of the vampire. It was as if fire and ice were daring each other.
Ronel considered the idea for a moment before adding:
"We'll do it this way, vampire. I, King Ronel Aetheris of the Kingdom of Aoolis, with just a snap of my fingers, could have one of my custodians cut off your head." He raised his left hand and poised his fingers. "Within these walls, there are powers beyond you. If you haven't died during this month outside my gates, it's because Rynelle told me to let you live."
Hanami instinctively glanced at the elf. She closed her eyes and turned her head.
"So my final condition will be as follows. You accept becoming a castle guard, with the possibility of speaking with my daughter, but swear loyalty to my kingdom; or you completely forget you ever had anything to do with this castle, and as repayment for not harming my daughter, I will let you go in peace."
Hanami shrugged, slightly uncomfortable with the idea; but before she could think of anything, Ronel continued:
"Or a third option. I kill you right here and avoid future problems. I will no longer know anything about you nor worry about a distant betrayal. Which seems better to you, miss…?"
"Ha-Hanami…"
"Miss Hanami. Which do you choose?"
She hid her eyes beneath the brim of her witch hat. Did she want to meet Irene so badly that she would give up her freedom? Was it worth protecting a kingdom she had nothing to do with?
Her hands tensed, and sweat ran down her body. She could feel herself perspiring beneath her purple outfit.
Thinking of Irene made her happy. She felt Irene was worth it, and if she made a mistake, what would stop her from flying away from a kingdom she had nothing to do with? After analyzing everything carefully, her final thought was:
''I'll only do this for three months. If in that time this little fox doesn't meet my expectations, I'll leave.''
She lifted her gaze and, with a determined expression, declared:
"Then I swear loyalty to the Kingdom of Aoolis and the Aetheris family. I, Hanami, accept the position as a member of the castle guard."
Ronel lowered his arm and studied Hanami's confident, determined gaze.
''Why go this far?'' he thought.
He rose from his throne and spoke in a deep, low voice:
"Show her everything from here on, Rynelle."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"And give her one of the rooms in the block where she'll be staying. Inform me of anything."
With that, he left the hall along with his custodians, who, with their imposing height, walked alongside Hanami without taking their eyes off her. The white hoods cast deep shadows over their faces, making them impossible to see.
Hanami followed them with curious eyes until they exited through a doorway. Rynelle began walking and said:
"I'll take you to your room."
Unable to contain herself, Hanami asked:
"May I greet the princess? Just once."
Rynelle stopped and looked over her shoulder. The vampire felt intimidated by those intense eyes, but to her surprise, Rynelle replied:
"Yes, why not?… You've been insisting for over a month."
Hanami was so surprised that she stared at Rynelle's back with a slightly awkward expression, losing all her coquettish features.