Chương 2: Prince asks Angelica for help
While the girl and her fellow traveler were walking down the corridor they could hear nice music ahead. The man led Lica to the stairs running to a large posh room where ladies and gentlemen were spinning in a beautiful dance. Angelica tried to see their faces but alas all the guests were wearing masks.
"Why..." she was going to ask her new friend, who had brought her here, but he had already disappeared.
Lica was going down the wide stairs trying to find her night visitor, who so carelessly had left her alone. She was in a large spa-cious hall where hundreds of guests were dancing and enjoying themselves. The walls and the ceiling of the hall were decorated with amazing chandeliers with burning candles. Beautiful curtains with gold and silver embroidery were falling down the windows and the flame of the candles was glancing in the white marble floor. Angelica was confused by this entire splendor. She was looking around but what she could see just a lot of masks. Somebody was laughing others were saying something but she heard nothing. It seemed to her that she was spinning on the carousel. She wanted only one thing - to break out of this circle! Lica rushed back to the saving stairs to get away from here. But the laughing people, dancing just in front of her, blocked the way. Angelica thrashed about between well-dressed ladies and gentlemen and suddenly heard a mellow voice behind:
"You look great!"
The girl looked around and saw a handsome young man. He was without a mask.
"Let me invite you to dance!" the stranger said and held out his hand to Lica.
Angelica nodded. After all now this handsome man was her escape from those faceless laughing people. The girl put her hand on his shoulder. They heard beautiful music and began to waltz. Now Lica could see her savior better. He had regular features. His pale and thin skin gave the young man an aristocratic look. Black curls were hanging down to his shoulders. The fathomless black eyes looked straight into the soul. Angelica embarrassed and blushed.
"What is your name?" the man asked.
"Lica!"
The young man raised his left eyebrow amazedly.
"Oh, sorry! Angelica…" Lica corrected herself. "And you?" "Edward! You are very beautiful, Angelica! Do you love night?"
The girl nodded. She felt how she was beginning to sympa-thize with this handsome stranger. They continued to whirl in the dance and Lica did not notice laughing masks any more. Soon the music was over and Edward accompanied Angelica to the room with set tables. This room was much smaller than the ball hall but also decorated beautifully. There were all sorts of dishes and drinks and guests could take anything they wanted!
"Help yourself!" Edward turned to the girl. "I'll get to you a little later. Now I have to deal with other guests."
He bowed and left the room. While Lica was looking around in confusion, her night guest –"eagle-owl" approached to her.
"I see that our Prince liked you!" he said smiling.
"Prince?" Angelica surprised.
"Prince!" an "owl" confirmed. "But do not kid yourself too much about him!"
"What do you mean?" Lica flushed.
"I mean that he is engaged..."
"Why are you telling me this?" the girl said angrily.
"Because I saw the way you looked at him!"
Angelica blushed and decided to stop talking to that nasty old man. At this moment Edward entered the room.
"Henry!" he called the "owl". "So you had told me about this girl, hadn't you?"
"Yes, I had," Henry nodded. "She loves night like no one does!" "In that case, Angelica, can I talk to you?"
The young man gave the girl his hand and led her to a sepa-rate room, which was in another wing of the castle. Henry followed them. Prince Edward suggested Lica sitting down in an arm chair and began his story.
"Angelica, I invited you not without a reason! I have been looking for someone who is madly in love with night. For this rea-son, every year I arrange the ball for all fans of night. I am looking for a person who can help me!"
"Help you?" the girl amazed.
"Yes... Many years ago, when I was a young boy, I fell in love with the princess from the neighboring kingdom. She was so pretty almost as much as you are, Angelica. We were going to get married and it seemed nothing would prevent our happiness! But... the evil wizard envied us! He created a Frankenstein's monster-spider who kidnapped the Princess. That Wizard hid her somewhere in the caves and put a spell on her. He said that one who was madly in love with night would be able to disenchant the Princess."
"That's why you called me, didn't you?" Lica whispered.
"Yes, I did!" Prince nodded.
"But I thought you had liked me!" she said even quieter.
"I had told you do not hope for nothing," Henry whispered in her ear.
Angelica was very disappointed. It was the first time did she really fall in love with a man and Edward so insensitively "put her down". She looked at the Prince again and realized that she was gone! His eyes just fascinated her.
"I'll help you," suddenly Lica said. "I will save your Princess but not for her sake but for you!"
"Thank you," Edward replied. "The road to the caves where the Princess has been hidden is through Nightmare Forest, Sleepy Lake and Ghosts Fields. We have never day time in my kingdom so you will have to get there in the dark. I cannot go with you because by the condition of the Wizard I mustn't leave the walls of my castle as long as the Princess is released. But I am going to send my faithful servant and friend – Henry with you. It will be a lot easier with him!"
"Yeah thank you!" the girl muttered. "Just let me change my dress! I do not want to climb the mountains in a ball dress and high heels."
"Henry! Bring a suit for the lady!" the Prince said.
The servant bowed and left the room.
"Tell me, do you really still love her?" Angelica asked the young man curiously.
"Princess? Of course!"
"But you are talking about it so easily... Besides, so many years passed!"
Edward looked at Lica and was about to add something but at that moment the door opened and Henry came in with men's clothes in his hands.
"Change your dress!" Prince said, standing up. "Henry and I are waiting for you outside."
The men went out of the room and Angelica took off her wonderful ball dress with great regret. Then she put on the suit, however it was also fit her perfectly. The only thing that the old servant had not guessed was the size of the shoes. The shoes, which he had brought for the girl, were too big for her but Lica decided that they were better than high heel shoes.
A few minutes later she came out of the room. Prince Edward looked at her admiringly and a smile has slipped on Henry's face.
"Horses are waiting for you!" the Prince said. "You will find food and water in baskets tied to the saddles! Come on!"
They went out of the castle to the wide courtyard. Edward's servant jumped into the saddle and the Prince helped Angelica to mount a horse.
"Have you ever ridden a horse?" he asked suspiciously.
"No never!" Lica answered honestly. "But everything has ever made for the first time!"
Henry briefly explained the girl how to handle a horse.
Then he pulled the reins and left the yard. Lica followed him.
"Angelica, you must promise me that you back sound in life and limb!" Edward shouted after her. "It is very important to me!"
SUY NGHĨ CỦA NGƯỜI SÁNG TẠO 
IRin
IRin The first part of this book was written for a 12-year-old girl who loved the night.
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