"WELL IF I were you, I would take that to the council as soon as possible. Lest you have to walk around any longer with open wounds and covered in blood." Korelia explained, the blood on her clothes drying in the sun.

"Don't you live in the castle, as well?" Percy asked, shoulders shrugged downward in tiredness. "Accompany us, if you will."

"I guess. But I cannot follow you all the way. I can't enter the front without revealing my identity." She told them as they began their journey back to the standing castle not too far away.

"Is that such a problem?" Vax asked.

"Looking like this," She gestured to her blood soaked rags. "Quite. I have to find a secret passage for now."

"Thank you, for helping us." Percy told Korelia. Korelia gave a smile, while hidden behind the mask, they could see the corners of her eyes turned upward.

"You finally say thank you, Percy." Korelia teased. The human only rolled his eyes, though his grin could tell he meant no harm.

"You know we wouldn't be apposed to having another member." Scanlan told the girl, walking along side Grog and Pike.

"As much as I would love to, I have duties to attend to in the castle."

"But yet you spent all day with us. Not to mention the day and night you were in the Shale Steps." Pike pointed out. Korelia chuckled, nodding her head.

"Right you are. But there is only so much excuses one can give. In the meantime, I think I'll just join you guys as a hobby." She laughed, cheeks bright as Vox Machina began to bicker and recall the events from just a few minutes ago.

She took a glance at her skin, the pink noticeable on her fingers. Her head felt heavy, her horns tilting her head back and forth if she wasn't paying attention. She had walked out of Krieg's home looking like a demon, but yet, no one from the group seemed to ask her about it. In fact the only time they seemed to was when they had met at the Shale Steps. But now, after helping them save Emon from a blue dragon, they didn't question her where her loyalty lies. Than again, they were mercenaries, so long as they got paid for doing their job they didn't care who crossed their paths. Well so long as they didn't annoy them.

She was the Gate Keeper to them. They had asked her if she wished to join Vox Machina. They didn't care if a tiefling would join their ranks. But maybe they saw it as a bonus. Someone was helping them in their jobs, and didn't ask for payment in return. Having to split the payment some more really seemed like a hassle. Korelia chuckled to herself, she really did not need money from them.

"Thank you, for saving my brother." A feminine voice spoke behind Korelia. Korelia looked behind her, Vex seemingly coming up to her side with crossed arms. She gave Vex a light smile.

"I would never let anyone as charming as that go to waste." Vex suddenly squinted her eyes in annoyance, brows frowned.

"You know what I take it back."

"I think you're warming up to me, Vex." Korelia teased. The half-elf only rolled her eyes, turning to look the other way.

"Another remark like that, and I might just kill you."

"Careful Vax'ahlia, the odd love you have for your brother is showing." Vex got annoyed, feeling as though this woman was trying to hard to find something she shouldn't need to. Her brother was a flirt, but seeing him do it in front of her seemed to have an effect. Especially when the other person would flirt back.

"Do what you want with the others." Vex glared. "I gave you my thanks, but he doesn't need someone like you."

"So keeping him from having any kind of emotional attachment to another being is your best effort?" Korelia judged. She turned to the castle steps watching as the rest of Vox Machina seemed to make their way up them.

"I part ways here, but keep in mind Vex'ahlia. Sometimes the best thing you can do is allow a person to grow from you. Who's to say the family he might want won't bring you happiness, as well?" She turned to the group.

"I bid you all a good evening. Please rest well, I hope to see you in the castle." With a bow and one last look at Vex, Korelia hopped onto her staff. She flew off to the side, probably to find a way into the castle without being caught.

"Are you alright, sister?" Vax asked, handing touching his sisters arm. Vex dropped from her stupor, having mulled over what the Gate Keeper had said.

"I'm alright, brother." Vex told him, moving to begin her journey up the stairs. She stopped though, turning back to her brother.

"Vax, would you ever want a family?" She asked, swallowing to get rid of her dry throat. Vax tilted his head, looking over at her as if she grew two heads.

"I have you." He told her, eyes showing his confusion.

"I mean your own. A part from me."

Vax gave a small smile, thinking over the question presented to him. Looking at Vex though he sighed, walking up to her and placing a hand on her shoulder.

"I'll talk about it when I get there."

"EW. EW. EW." Korelia kept repeating, waddling her way from the secret passage in her bathroom. She peeled away the mask, placing it on the counter and beginning to pull at the clothes that stuck to her skin. With a wet shlump to the floor, the princess groaned peeling away every piece of fabric on her person. The bandage binding at her chest was soaked through. Maybe diving head first into the large gash the Grog and her made wasn't the best of ideas when taking into account what she had to go through in that moment. It wasn't until she finished unwrapping her binding that she heard a squeak behind her.

A maid stood with wide eyes, frozen and clenching hard onto the cleaning bucket she held in her hands. She was trying so hard not to look down, but the girl's body was pink! You were bound to look everywhere when someone's skin wasn't the right color.

They took a moment to look at each other, trying to not take notice of the awkward tension in the air. With a good dose of prolonged eye contact, the maid finally said something.

"I saw nothing!" She squeaked, her feet rushing to get out the princess's room.

"No! Wait!" Korelia shouted, not even caring she had ran after the maid naked.

The maid had to make quick work of opening the bedroom door, however a sudden rush of yellow light slammed it back shut. She squeaked again, back slamming onto the door to look at Korelia behind her.

"You have to listen to me." Korelia spoke softly, hands out to keep the girl from something drastic.

Korelia recognizes her, the woman was older than herself. She wasn't her personal maid rather, just the one who came in to clean the bedrooms when they were out. She probably was cleaning; instead she gets a blood soaked, naked tiefling.

The lady was short, face flushed red as she tried to look anywhere but at the naked princess. She seemed shy, her fidgeting fingers and red face really giving her away.

"You're-"

"A tiefling-"

"Naked!" Korelia looked at her oddly, but ultimately turning her back around to let the girl breath.

"You really caught me as a bad time." The door knob continued to jiggle, but Korelia's magic was keeping it shut.

"You kinda just walked out of a secret passage in the bathroom. I thought you were an intruder or something had I not seen your staff." Korelia turned back around, eyes frowned at her statement.

"You recognize my staff?"

"I clean your room everyday. I'm not going to question though because it's not in my job description to."

The princess frowned, trying to come up with the best option to tell her. But what was she suppose to say about the blood soaked clothes? There's not many good excuses for it. The maid did look young, in her mid twenties maybe. Her height made her look younger though, but she really made up for it in curves.

"May I ask for your name?"

"Sephron, my princess." She didn't turn around, eyes very focused on the design on the door in front of her. Korelia realized she was still naked, skin finally shifting back to it's darker tone.

"I would like to ask you to stay while I try to shower all this muck off. I'll explain everything but please trust me."

"Seeing as the door is locked and won't open, I don't think I have a choice." Sephron said, tone sarcastic but still kind of scared. Korelia chuckled.

"Safety precaution."

Sephron tried her best not to look into the bathroom where the princess had left the door open. Probably to speak to her.

"The first thing I should tell you is that this is not my blood. I was helping to defeat a dragon."

"A dragon!" Sephron yelled, hands clenching at her sides. Korelia looked at her from the tub for moment.

"Yes," She spoke slowly. "A dragon."

Sephron took a glance into the room, doing a double take when she noticed the horns and pink skin was gone from Korelia's body. This was such a large secret. How long has the Sovereign kept this? His own daughter was a tiefling! She had magic; she wasn't just human like everyone thought she was. Oh the kingdom would be in shambles over this kind of thing.

But no! Sephron was not going to spread it, she loved her job. The royals were nice to her, offering whatever it was she needed. She had a roof over her head and was fed good food. Starting that rumor would lead her to a terrible spot.

"My mother explained to me why I looked the way I do." Sephron listened in to the princess's voice. "I found out about my magic when I was 15. I didn't know until recently though that it came from a demon side in my genes."

"I only look that way when I use too much magic at a time. I'm sorry if I frighten you."

"You're the Gate Keeper, right?" Sephron asked her. Korelia looked out the bathroom door, watching the girl stand.

"I am."

"I haven't really heard anything about you, just that you were a thing. Thank you, for defeating the dragon. I don't think that would've gone really well if it was never taken down." Korelia chuckled, hands resting against the side of the tub.

"I would say thanks to the group called Vox Machina."

Word Count: 1800