Bab 15: The Prince's quarter
Not long after Luciana got back, she came outside, wanting to go to the laboratory. She then realized that the prince gave her a pendant that could permit her to use the laboratory, but no means to go there. She wondered if she could go on foot. It was far, and her body felt very weak. She decided to go anyway.
She was only at the castle's gate when she heard the prince's voice.
"Luciana." He sounded surprised. He didn't expect that she would still be on her feet, looking for where to go after what she had experienced that day.
Luciana turned to him. "Your highness."
"Where are you going?"
"To the laboratory." She answered honestly.
He shook his head. "After what you have gone through today?"
Luciana remained silent. He walked up to her and looked her in the eyes. Her face held no expression, just blank. Her eyes made it obvious that she lacked sleep a lot, and he could tell she was tired from how she walked. Her eyes looked even emptier than before, it was as if the world had become boring for her. He remembered Evelyn almost drowning her to death, and he guessed that it would have affected her. She wasn't crying or moping, but no one would be okay after such traumatizing experience. And she was going to the laboratory?
"You are going nowhere."
"Please your highness. I need to." She begged, almost desperately. She looked like she needed a distraction. He frowned.
"Come to the training ground with me." He said, and that seemed to interest her, and she nodded. This girl was definitely something else.
When he got to the training grounds, he took her directly to where the soldiers were practicing archery, and she picked up a bow and arrow. Without wasting another second, she shot it and hit the bulls eye.
"You should aim for that one." He said, pointing at another target that was much farther from the one she shot at. She was already perfect with that one.
Luciana pleased to have a new challenge, faced there immediately. Holding her bow and arrow in position, she shot it. Raziel watched patiently, wondering if she would get it right. And to his surprise, she hit the bullseye. How does she always hit the bullseye?
"How long have you been learning archery?" He asked curiously.
"Since I was a child." She shot another arrow at the new target, wishing to shoot away someone's limbs.
"Who taught you?"
Luciana paused her shooting for a minute.
"My father." She then began to shoot again.
"He must be really good."
"He was." She stretched the bow and shot another. "But I became better." She then placed three arrows in the bow and shot them all at once. Raziel couldn't deny that he was very impressed.
"What made you think you are better?"
She spared him a glance, and he could swear he saw her smirk a little.no
"I never miss."
A flash of a memory came to her mind.
A little girl, holding a bow and an arrow with a man standing behind her, instructing her on how to use it. The little girl seemed so excited to learn, and the man was more than happy to learn.
"Be careful Lucy. It could be dangerous to you when used wrongly." He warned, as he patted her head lovingly.
"Don't worry papa. I will make sure not to hurt myself." She then stretched the bow with the arrow in it. "If I learn, I will protect you and Freya and baby brother from the bad men." Her face was then filled with determination, while her little hands let the arrow go. The arrow hit the target, but two marks away from the bullseye. The man clapped, and cheered for the small girl, and he could see how happy she looked.
"I am not teaching you this to hurt others Lucy." The man said to her in a soft voice. "I only want you to grow up a strong lady."
"What would it matter if I am strong, and I can't protect us human from the bad creatures? Why do they hate humans anyway?"
"Your curiosity will lead you in trouble one day Luciana." Her father warned.
"But it has to stop papa. Someone has to stop them." She frowned.
"Lucy..."
"But papa..."
"Luciana listen to me." He then squatted and gently turned the little girl to look at him. "The other creatures are more powerful than us, and we cannot fight them. Our strength is no match for their own, so they can easily hurt us humans. And do you know what will happen when they hurt us?" He asked the little girl.
"Nothing papa." She replied in a sad voice.
"That's right Lucy. Nothing will happen. That is why you should stay out of their way at all times. This way you will be safe, and your sister and brother will also be safe. Do you understand?"
"Yes papa."
He then placed a loving kiss on her forehead. "I know you really wish that the world was fairer to us, but we don't always get what we wish for my child."
"I understand papa."
She then wrapped her little hands around his neck, hugging him. Unknown to the man, what he said had only fueled her desire to fight against their oppressors.
Back to the present, Luciana picked another arrow and released it with a grunt, her chest heaved up and down, and her breathing turned heavy. Raziel could only guess that she was going to start hurting herself again.
Because he could react, Luciana had already picked up an arrow and stabbed her bandaged wrist, drawing blood.
"Luciana!" He called in a warning tone, staring at the blood. He had known her for just a short while, and he had taken her to the physician many times already.
"Stop it." He grabbed her wrist, and took the arrow from her.
Luciana gritted her teeth, feeling her wrist itch. She really wanted to peel it off, or do something that would cause her pain.
"Luciana control it." The prince said to her, but she shook her head vigorously. That was the only way for her to cope.
"It is an order."
"Your highness I..." She trailed off, not knowing what to say to him. She then noticed that his eyes were trained on her bleeding wrist which he was still holding, and she remembered that he was a vampire.
"You can drink if you want to." She offered, and she noticed that the colour of his eyes turned slightly red, before going back to their normal grey colour.
"You should mind what you say to a vampire Luciana." He warned, and she didn't fail to notice the change in his voice. He must be really tempted by her blood. Why didn't he just drink?
"Come with me." He ordered, and Luciana followed after him.
Luciana thought he would take her back to the other girls, but she took him to his quarters, but not the room. They went into another room instead.
"You will be staying here from now on. I guess this is the only way to keep you away from trouble. Now rest. Food will be given to you soon."
He noticed how she frowned, and knew she didn't want to eat.
"Until after you do those will you be allowed to use the laboratory." He told her, before walking away.
Luciana badly wanting to use the laboratory, could only comply.
______
"You must release the princess at once." The king ordered Raziel, after summoning him to the throne room.
"Father she disobeyed me." Raziel replied in a nonchalant voice.
"She's the one you are going to marry!" The king yelled, making everyone in the throne room flinch, with the exception of Raziel. "You should tolerate her more." He said in a softer tone.
"I don't have such patience father."
"Raziel she is a princess. Her father will hear of this soon, and demand back his daughter. And there is a possibility that it might result in war. We don't want more enemies. We already have so many. So release the princess."
"Yes father." He bowed, before turning around to leave.
You want to release her now?" The father asked, surprised by his immediate agreement."
"I said I was going to release her. I didn't say when." He is then left.
Hadiah
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