I was six years old when my grandmother, Queen Candy passed away. Some said it was an accident. Some say it was murder, but others either didn't care or they were too afraid to do, or say anything. But I know what happened, I know because I was there when it happened. I was never really close to my grandmother, and neither was my mom, of all people. She told me that she never really cared for her own daughter, so she didn't care for own mom, she did however care about her dad. My grandfather was the only parent who was actually there for her, and the only one who would listen to her. I wish I could of met him, but he passed away before I was born. He was poisoned by King Edward of Woodland, years ago. But you already know that. My story starts the day after Queen Candy's death.

Nikki was walking around the room nervously as she waited for Victoria. Max tried to calm her down, but it was no use.

"Everything is going to be fine," he said as he looked at his wife.

"Rememeber what happened last time? We thought as soon as we got married we'd be fine, but you were locked in the dungeon and I was about to get married to King Edward."

Max shivers at the thought of Pikeman with Nikki. He remember that Pikeman would vist him everyday just talk about the plans he had for him and Nikki.

"My king, my queen," said a female voice.

"Ah Victoria there you are. Did you find anything?" asked Nikki.

Victoria's only reply was to hold up a bloody knife.

"I'm sorry your majesty, but your mom is dead. She was stabbed in the back six times, then she was pushed down the stairs for good measures. Her neck is broken and so is other parts of her body," said Victoria.

Nikki fell to knees and started crying. She was sad about her mother, even if she didn't like her, she still loved her and it hurt to know that she's dead. It hurt worse knowing that it wasn't just her mother, but her and her family too.

"Do you know who done this," asked Max, while holding his wife.

"A man dressed in black, who it is I don't know, but what I do know is that someone paid that man to kill Queen Candy."

Nikki stoped crying and looked at Victoria, then at Max, then back at Victoria.

"How do you know?"

"I can see the past and the future, also this knife is an assassin's knife, it came from a group called the Shadow Walkers.

"Oh shit," said Max.

"You know about them?" asked Max.

"Before we met, my family and I were always travling from one town to the next. When we met Campbell he told us that he was being hunted down by a group. I thought it was just a bunch of dumbassess, but it wasn't, it was the Shadow Walkers. I didn't see them coming, they ambushed us, they nearly killed us if it wasn't for their leader. She told us to stay out of her way, or else.

"But why would they..."

"You've made a lot of enimes, your majesty. It's no surprise that someone would hire a group of assassins to assassinate you, what is surprising though is that someone would hire an assassin to assassinate your mother," she said as she examined the kinfe in her hands. "Also a man is on his way over here."

"Thank you Victoria, you may go know," said Max.

"It's always a pleaser," she said as she bowed and started to leave.

On her way out she walks towards the corner to see Lovetta hiding behind some funiture.
Lovetta smiles at Victoria, but she just frowned at her.

"Lovetta, what did I say about listening in to other peoples conversations?"

"That it's rude," she said with a sigh.

"And it's something a little princess such as yourself should not be doing," she said as took Lovetta's hand and started to walk her to her room.

"You know you don't have to bow to mom and dad, right?"

"I know, but I want to."

"Why?"

"Because, I like to show respect to those who deserve it."

They chate as they made their way to Lovetta's room. It wasn't a long walk, but it wasn't a small one either. Victoria didn't mind though. In fact she had a special bond with the princess. A bond that she had with her brother, but that was before he started to hate her.
He had every right to be mad at her, she did break her promise, but that was no reason to hate her.

Lovetta squeezed Victoria's hand when saw a tear falling from her eye. She knew about her and her brother, but she never said anything. She tried to bring it up at one point, but she would just leave without saying a word to her. Lovetta never liked seeing Victoria like this, but as Victoria always said to her, "you can't help everyone."

There was a long silence as they reached their destination. Victoria picked Lovetta up as she the door. She walked inside and tucked Lovetta in. She goes to leave until she heard her name.

"Victoria?"

"Yes?"

"What was your life like outside the castle?"

"Lets just say that I had done some things that I'm not proud of. Things that I wish that I could take back."

"But you can," Lovetta said in excitment. "You can go back in time and fix everything."

"I'm afraid it doesn't work that way," she said while looking down at her feet. "Even if it did, it wouldn't matter."

"Why?"

"Because if I changed the past, it will still take place in another timeline."

"Has mom and dad done bad things...like you?" Lovetta asked with a hint of sadness in her voice.

"You'll have to ask them yourself," said Victoria as got up and started to leave.

"Will I do bad things when I get older?"

"Goodnight Lovetta," she said as she walked out of the room and shutting the door behind her. "I hope not."

The next morning when Lovetta woke up she felt...odd. She couldn't get her and Victoria's conversation out of her head. She wondered what it was that Victoria done before her life in the castle. She wondered if her parents done the samething or not, but what she wondered the most was if she do the things that Victoria and her parents have done. It kind of scared her, and the dream she had last night didn't help her feel better. She just shruged it off as she got out of her bed and made it to the large dinning room and sat down at the table.

"Good morning Lovetta," said Nikki before she hugged her daughter.

"Good morning mom." she said while hugging her mom back. "Where's dad?"

"He's talking to Neil. He'll be down in a few minutes."

"Well I hope he doesn't plan on eating right now," said Victoria.

"And why's that?" asked Max who just entered the dinning room.

"You have a guest," said Victoria with a smile.

Max and Nikki look at each other before looking back at Victoria who still had a big smile on her face.

"I take it that you know this person," said Max.

"He's a friend from my old job."

"Where is he?" asked Nikki.

"I'm right behind you," said a random voice.

The family turned around to see a man standing infront of the queen. His clothes made him look homeless but he looked clean despite the rages that he wore. He had dark brown hair and golden brown eyes. Kinda like Victoria except she had blue eys and her hair was short but black. It looked like one was inspired by the other. Lovetta looked at the man. She swore he looked familiar, but she doesn't remember ever seeing him before, not until now.

"Excuse my sudden visit but I was told an old friend of mine worked her, so I thought I would come to the kingdom just say hello," he said as he walks towards Victoria and wraped his arms around her.

"Oh, it's so good to see you again," said Victoria as she huged the man back. "How's your mother?"

"She's doing very well. Her, my dad, my brothers and so everyone eles," he said with a smile on his face. "How's Jessica?"

"You work for her and your a close friend of hers, you shouldn't have to ask me about...you know," she said with a blush.

"I thought you knew about me and her."

"I'm sorry to say that I don't," said Victoria in a worried tone.

"We'll talk about it later. Right now I've got go, I have something very very important to do, so if you excuse me," he said as he started to leave.

"But we didn't get your name," said Nikki.

The man turns around looks at Nikki and smiles.

"My name is Alex, your majesty," he said as he bowed.

"We don't do that here."

"Just showing respect. Well if excuse me, I must go."

"Would you be kind and join us for breakfest?" asked Nikki.

Alex just stood there not sure what to say. He had a job to do and he promised that he would do his job by any means necssary, but he was already where needed to be. He looks at the family then at Victoria who was smiling and nodding the whole time. He sighed as he turned around and smiled at the family.

"Yes, yes I will."

"Well it's a good thing I made extra," said Victoria before she went to go get the reast of the family.

"I know your names, but I don't know who this is," Alex said while looking at Lovetta.

"That's our daughter, Lovetta," said Max.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," he said with a bow.

"P-please don't do that."

"Sorry," he said before walking towards Oliver, who had the biggest smile on his face. "And who is this little guy?"

"Our son, Oliver."

"It's a pleasure to meet you Oliver."

Oliver tried to grab his, but Alex walked away before he could. Alex looked at the family and at that moment he knew. He knew why he was asked to come here. The family was happy, sure Queen Candy is dead, but what he was told, it isn't surprising that it wouldn't take Nikki, but a day or two to bounc back, but what he couldn't understand was why would anyone want to kill them. Maybe it was something personal, but it always was. Someone could be holding a grudge, but once again it always was grudge. Which is why people would hire assassins to assassinate someone, especially a king or a queen.

Lovetta watched as Alex took a seat at the table. As he sat down Neil, David, and Gwen. Alex looked at them smiled and looked right back down at the floor. Neil looks at him with eyes full of curiosity. David being David just smiled, but he too was curious. Gwen was trying not to pay him any attention as she walked towards her grandkids. She huges Lovetta and kissed Oliver's forhead. She bit her lower lip nervously when she looked at Alex.

"Gwen are okay?" asked Nikki.

"Are you sure about him?" she asked not once looking away from Alex. "Do you even trust him?"

"I trust Victoria. And if Victoria trust him, then so do I," she said.

"I hope your right."

It was quiet at the table. Max asked some questions that Alex tried to answer without blowing his cover, while Nikki was asking simple questions. There was one question that almost blew his cover, but thankfully Victoria answered for him.

"We worked for kings and queens all around the world. We were servents sometimes, but sometimes we were treated as if we were kings and queens," said Victoria who standing next to Alex.

"Yeah now I just travel around the world whenever I want," sais Alex, taking a sip of some juice. "Sometimes it's for business though."

"Well, what brings you here?" asked Neil.

"Business of course. That's the only reason I ever step foot in Lilac. It's just not a place for me, or really anyone anymore.

"What makes you say that?" asked David.

"Ever since Queen Nikki's wedding with King Edward didn't...go as planed. People been trying to stay as far away from Lilac and Woodland as far as possible. Only the smart or stupied come here."

"What does my wedding with Edawrd have to do with anything?" asked Nikki after she jumped out of her seat and slammed her hands on the table.

"Because they're scared their might be a war between the two of you...but I think that's bullshit because as far as I know, everything is going to be fine, because I heared you made pice with that little shit. Right?"

"Yes, yes we have," said Nikki while she slowly sat back down.

"So there's nothing to worry about, it's just people being people," he said in a cheerful tone, but his eyes said something eles. "I hope so." he thought as went back to eating his breakfest. Lovetta took notice.

After having breakfest with the royal family Alex left to take care of some "business" as he put it. Victoria said not to worry because it was nothing negaitve, but Lovetta knew something was off with him. What it was she wasn't so sure. But she did know one thing though...she couldn't trust him, no matter what Victoria said.

Lovetta stoped walking when she heared Victoria's voice. She tiptoed as she walked towards Victoria's room. She stoped and listened. She didn't hear Victoria's voice, instead she heared a man's vocie.

"It doesn't matter anymore...besides I made my choice when I joined this fucking group."

"You know how strict she is. She'll kill you if she finds out," sighed Victoria "Just go home and I'll take care of all this."

"No, no I can't this is something I have to do. After this I'm done. No more killing and no more hiding in the dark," he said while griping his mask.

"Just be careful."

"I'll be fine," he said putting his mask back on and climed out the window.

Victoria stood there for a moment. There was a long silence. Lovetta silently walked back to her room and locked the door. She sat down on the floor with her back facing the door. She couldn't belive what she just heared. Victoria was talking to a member of the Shadow Walkers. Not only was he a part of that group but he could be the one who killed Queen Candy and to make matters even worse he could be here to kill her and the rest of the royal family.

Lovetta closed her eyes and started to think. All of a sudden there was a knock on her door. She went to open it but stoped mid way.

"Should I open it?" she thought to herself.

Another knock.

"Who is it?" she asked but there was no answer.

Lovetta grabes a knife that she had hidden under her bed and walks towards the door. She puts her back on the wall and slowly opens the door. A man dressed in black with a black mask that only covered the lowere part of his face. walks in and looks around the room for the princess. Lovetta charges at him, but he grabed her arm before she could stabed him.

"Not bad kid, but you need to be quiter." he whispered.

He let go of Lovetta and got on his knees to face her.

"You need more practice." he whispered.

"Who are you?"

"I can't tell you yet, but I promise I will later," he once agian whispered before leaving.

Lovetta followed him, but he started to run. Lovetta started to run after him. He then jumped out an open window. Lovetta stoped and looked out the window but she didn't see him anywere. She then climed out the window, but instead of going down she went up.
The man saw her and she saw him. He didn't run, instead he stayed right were he was. Lovetta continued but she sliped and almost fell if she wasn't holding on to the end of the roof.

"You are one smart kid. Smart and brave," he saide while he offered her his hand, but she didn't take it.

"You're smart not to take a stanger's hand, but foolish not to take mine," he said

"Why?" Lovetta asked confused.

"Because I'm not a stanger," he said still offering her his hand.

She took it and he pulled her up to safty.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome," he said.

"Why did you save me?" she asked causing the man to turn around and walk towards her.

He gets on his knees and says "Because I don't kill kids."

"So you're for my mom and dad are you?" she asked before putting a knife to his throat.

"No, no I'm not. Nor am I here to kill anybody or anything from this kingdom."

"Then why are you here? And who are you?"

"Look into my eyes and if that doesn't help then listen to my voice," he said.

Lovetta's jaw dropped in total shock.

"It's you."

"It's me," he said while taking his mask off.

"B-but." was all she manged to say before Victoria called her name.

"Lovetta! Lovetta where are you!"

"Come on, lets get down before your parents start to worry," he said before putting his mask back on.

He sat down and told her get on his back. She did and started to climb down to the open window. When they were back inside he started to leave before Lovetta said something to him.

"You didn't tell me why you're here."

"I'm here to protect you," he said before jumping out the window.

"To protect me...from what?"

And that's chapter two. I would like to thank Kamije Celeek for letting make this sequel. If you haven't read the first story The Princess, The Thief, and The Alchemist, please go read it. I promise you won't regret it, it's a really good story that would keep you on your toes.
I also want to thank Kamije Celeek for allowing me to use some of her characters for my stories. Victoria is an oc of mine and Alex is me. Yes I put myself in this story and in the story Normal and Different (please go check it out) because I can. Thanks for reading and I'll see you in the next chapter.