Chapter 4.

Ivan lay down on the couch in front of the lit fireplace. He rubbed the scarf around his neck and watched Edward and Toris play 'Sorry'. Raivis peeked over the couch at Ivan, "Uhh, Master Ivan? Do you think the girl might be a bit hungry now? She must not have eaten sense she left her cottage." Raivis asked.

Ivan smiled and nodded, "Yes, the girl must be hungry. Do you think she'll have dinner with me?" he asked whimsically. Raivis blinked and his eyes widened, "Sir, you sent her Father away beaten and weak. You locked her in a room and stole her scarf. Are you sure she'll want to have dinner with you?" he looked at Ivan like he was crazy.

Ivan's smile faded and he glared at Raivis, "Just make her come down to dinner." He ordered. Now it was Raivis's turn to smile, "Why don't you ask her? That'll show her you liiiiiiike her!" he taunted and backed away before Ivan could punch him. Ivan sat up and the scarf slid off, "Fine! I'll ask her to dinner!" he yelled at Raivis.

Toris's eyes widened and he stood up to grab Ivan's wrist. "Ivan! Please, control your temper." He told him. Ivan looked at him weirdly, "Like I have to do that!" he assured him sarcastically.

Ivan walked up the grand stairs and slowly walked up to Yao's door. He hesitantly knocked on the door, "Err, girl?" he straightened up his back, "You will come to dinner with me da?" he said.

"No! I'm not hungry aru!" a click sounded at the other side of the door.

Ivan's eyes widened and he glared at the door, "It wasn't a choice. You will come to dinner with me!" he yelled and tried to open the door. Yao had locked the door on the other side.

"N-no aru! I told you I'm not hungry!" she yelled.

Ivan growled and banged his fist on the door, "Come out here girl!" he screamed at her. Toris appeared behind Ivan and pulled him back, "Fine! Starve; I hope you starve to death girl!" Ivan yelled back.

Raivis quietly knocked on Yao's door and Toris kept Ivan downstairs. "Girl?" Raivis asked quietly, "Are you alright?" A click was heard on the other end and Yao peeked out the crack of the door.

"M-My name is Wang Yao aru." She told him. "Don't call me girl, call me Yao," Raivis nodded. "Yao, if you get hungry during the night, I'll keep the food warm for you." He assured her. "Ivan really likes you," he told her. "He just has trouble expressing emotion other than anger; you should've seen him when I killed my first human."

Yao gasped and stared at the boy with new eyes, "Killed? Human?" she asked in disbelief.

"I've said too much of that, just listen to my story." He told Yao. "Anyways, he was really happy and proud of me, so he patted me on the head. That pat was so rough he made me shorter about three inches!" he explained to her.

Yao's eyes widened and she nodded a bit in sadness. "I understand Mister uhh. What was your name?" she asked him.

Raivis smiled, "My name is Raivis, I'm not too good with last names so just call me Raivis." He bowed. "Anyways, If you get hungry, Dinner will be warm." He assured her.

Yao sadly nodded and closed the door; she locked it as soon as it was closed. She sighed and collapsed onto the bed. "What was Raivis talking about?" she wondered to herself. "Is he not human? It would be strange for a human talking about killing other humans. He would have just said 'The first time I ever killed somebody' instead of a human." She concluded. "But what about the prince, this is his castle isn't it? I haven't seen him anywhere; the only one here that looks like the prince is the man named Ivan. I didn't see anything other than skeletons in the dungeon area." She pulled at her hair and pulled it out of the pony-tail. "Aiyah! This is so confusing!" she sat up and her stomach growled loudly. "I guess I am hungry aru…."

{* * *}

Darkness had fallen upon the castle and its village. Yao peeked out the door and wondered if anyone was awake. She stepped out and walked a little ways down the hallway to the top of the grand stairs. "I wonder where the kitchen is," she whispered to herself. She tip-toed down the stairs and rounded the corner. She nearly head-on crashed into the man standing there. She stopped herself from screaming but fell on the floor, "I'm sorry I'm sorry!" She whispered and looked up. It wasn't Ivan that stood there, but a shorter boy with shoulder-length brown hair. "Oh, Miss Yao. I'm sorry I bumped into you, are you hungry?" he asked and tilted his head.

Yao shook but nodded, "Y-Yeah, just a little." She confessed.

Toris smiled and held out his hand, "My name is Toris by the way. I understand not wanting to have dinner with Ivan; he can get a little scary sometimes… But he's a pretty good guy once you get to know him!" he assured.

Yao took his hand and stood up, "He isn't really showing the good guy attitude; he acts more like a demon than an angel."

Toris almost burst out laughing, "You have no idea how right you are!" he smiled a little brighter and led Yao into the kitchen. "Edward, Raivis! Get the oven started, heat up some leftovers, and cut the veggies! We have a very hungry girl here!" Raivis waved and smiled and Yao, Edward nodded and pulled out a few knives. Yao watched in fascination as the three demons tossed around knives and cut up vegetables expertly. Raivis stirred a pot on the stove and dipped a spoon in it.

"Would you like a taste?" he asked Yao and shoved the spoon into her mouth.

Yao's eyes widened but she smiled and nodded, the soup was delicious! One of the best foods she had ever had. Raivis smiled, "There's more where that came from!" he poured a good amount of it into a bowl and gave it to the starving girl. She took the bowl and watched them cook more food.

{* * *}

Ivan stared into the kitchen with envy and sadness. He let the door close and he sat down on the couch, "She wouldn't eat dinner with me, but she'll eat straight from their hands?" he thought out loud. He dug sharp, black nails into the cushions and ripped it open. The inside fabric of the couch cushions scattered everywhere like snow; Ivan buried his face inside his hands. "What do they have that I don't?" he asked himself. "I guess, maybe I should learn to control my anger. It doesn't seem to be helping anybody if I hurt them all the time." He concluded. He sighed and calmly stood up, "I would scare everybody if I just twirled in the kitchen all happy and crap," he sadly trudged upstairs to his room.