♦Neruda's POV♦
I spend most of the carriage ride being distracted, there was a lot to worry about and for the first time I'm relieved that Cyril decided to not read my mind.
He can read the upset on my face though so naturally he prods and although it pinches I distract him with kisses because lying to him is never fun.
My responsibilities weigh on my shoulders and I might have held Cyril tighter than usual but my slender vampire grounded me, stopped me from throwing him over my shoulder, and making for the hills.
The carriage rattles when it passes through the barrier, the first one which is placed a distance away from the castle, we hit a couple more turbulent barriers before rolling past high gates into a grand garden.
The front no doubt a ruse to hide it as a training ground in the case that innocent civilians stumbled into the barrier protected by sentries… Nah, that was impossible, the gardens were just for the aesthetic.