The Lord of Vampires was riding with Angelica and her horse was running after them.
"Prince," she murmured, "what a blessing that you are!"
And Lica sobbed on the Vampire's shoulder.
"I understand, Angelica, that today's adventure has unsettled you," quietly said the Lord of Vampires. "You need to get some rest. In my castle, you can sleep well, and tomorrow we will go to see the Prince and the King of Goblins."
Lica remembered with horror that she had thrown the amulet, given her by Margo, in the Well of Oppression. But she was got coming and going... However, spending the night in the Fields of Ghosts, with lots of werewolves, wasn't a good idea either.
Meanwhile, the Lord had entered the courtyard of his castle. His servants immediately rushed to meet him.
"Prepare her apartments next to my room!" ordered the Prince.
"Things are getting worse and worse," Angelica thought, but said nothing.
The Prince dismounted and helped the girl down. Then he gave his hand and led her to the castle.
"Lay the table in a small hall immediately!" the Prince continued to give orders. "A fried meat for the girls and as usual – for me!"
"Just half an hour everything will be ready!" said a tall, thin vampire.
"I see, that you are very tired," said the Lord of Vampire turning to Lica, "but we have to wait a little, until dinner is cooked and your room is tidy. Nobody has expected a visitor here today."
"Of course," she nodded.
They went into in a small room next to the small hall.
"Would you like a glass of red wine," said the Vampire.
"Is it wine?" Angelica asked suspiciously.
"Do you really think that I'll pour you the blood?" the Prince laughed.
He took two glasses and a bottle of wine from the bar and filled each one half.
"Drink, please," said the Prince, giving her a glass of wine. "You need to relax."
Lica took a pull, and the heat began to spread throughout her body.
"You have blushed," the Vampire smiled. "How do I love your velvet skin!"
"Tell me, Prince, why aren't you married yet?" now brave enough Lica asked.
"I haven't found the one single yet. Although now I'm not so sure..."
The Vampire put unfinished glass of wine on the table, walked up and down the room, sat in the chair and stared at the girl.
"Tell me, Angelica, would you agree to marry me?"
"But you're immortal, and I am not!"
"I can change it," the Lord of Vampire smiled ironically.
"Are you speaking at me; should I become a vampire? But I think if I become similar to all your women - with pale skin, sunken eyes and dull hair - you will go off me very quickly, won't you, Prince?"
The Vampire thought, and then said quietly:
"Maybe you're right."
"And more, if I become a vampire, I will never be able to give you heir, because I will be dead. So if not... you will have a little chance!"
The Prince stared at Lica, but said nothing. At this moment a servant entered and announced that the table was set.
The Lord of Vampire gave Lica his hand, and they went to the dining room. Angelica expected to see raw meat with blood, but she had been mistaken. There was everything that your heart desired. Even a fruit tray was on the table. However, the Prince didn't touch any food; he was only drinking something from a high goblet. But Lica was so hungry that, not being too overmodest, had a bellyful. After dinner, the Lord of Vampire showed the girl her room and said:
"My room is next to yours. If you need something, you are welcome!"
"Thank you."
Angelica went to her bedroom and was astonished by its luxury. In the middle of the room there was a large canopied bed, next to it there was an elegant armchair with clean clothes on it. Lica locked the door and change clothes quickly. Then she dived under the blanket and fell asleep. However she could not sleep very well! Angelica suffered from nightmares. She saw Sophia pulling her bloody hands and asking for help, then a dying old man begging to kill him and stop torture ... The girl woke up in a cold sweat. Her heart was just in her mouth. She jumped out of the bed, dressed up and began pacing the room. But she couldn't calm down. In a moment Angelica was so afraid that she could not be alone any more.
The girl slowly pushed the bar and opened the door. The vampires -servants were quite far from her room and standing back.
"Excellent," thought Lica.
She tiptoed out of the bedroom and went to the Prince's room.
"And what if his room locked?" she thought with horror.
Angelica pushed the door and it opened easily. The girl slipped into the Lord of Vampires apartment. A dim candle was burning in the room. Surprisingly, the Prince was not sleeping. He was sitting on the window sill with wide open window, looking up at the starry sky. He was wearing open shirt and black trousers tucked into boots. Hearing the creak of the door, the Vampire turned around and saw the girl.
"Angelica?" he asked. "What are you doing here?"
"Prince," breathed Lica, "I cannot sleep at all. I saw nightmares with seas of blood. May I stay with you a little?"
"Yes, come in," the Prince shrugged.
"And why are not you sleeping?"
"Vampires do not sleep."
"But why do you have this bedroom then?"
"I thought you were a big girl and had to guess," the Vampire Prince smiled. "But if seriously, then I usually have a rest here. Sometimes you just need to be alone. Come in, please, sit down in the armchair!"
"If it's possible, I'd rather sit down on the windowsill with you? I love looking at the stars!"
"You know... so, do I!"
The Lord of Vampires moved slightly, and Angelica sat down near him.
"Can I ask you something?" she said.
"Ask."
"What is your name? Everybody always say Prince, Prince! It makes me sick to hear."
The Vampire laughed...
"Nobody has asked me about that for a long time," he said. "My name is Arthur."
"Just like King Arthur!" Lica blurted out.
"What?" the Prince did not understand.
"Forget about that! Once upon a time there lived famous King Arthur."
"Can you tell me about him?"
"Next time, okay?"
Arthur took the girl's hand and kissed her gently.
"Tell me, Angelica," he said, "and about my heir; was it seriously saying today?"
"Absolutely," she assured him without batting an eye.
"You know, at first I liked you because your beauty, but later I saw that you are very intelligent and brave. That's unusual for a pretty girl. So I was thinking about my bachelorhood."
Lica looking at his bottomless eyes realized that she was losing her head again. She gave his black as night hair a smooth, leaned over and kissed him. Arthur strained her in his arms. His breath hitched, and veins appeared on his high forehead under the thin skin. The girl moved aside a little, but did not completely.
"Angelica, you torture me," the Prince sighed. "I have never wanted one as you. Be my woman, please!"
"Arthur, I am losing my head when I am with you. But you forget about my fiancées. And I cannot be false with them. Give me a little more time!"
"This defeats me," whispered the Vampire and strained her in his arms again.
He passionately stuck her lips, and his hands started to undo button on her blouse.
"You are tempting me! Don't you think that you have come to my room and I let you go?" he said quickly.
Then Angelica felt strange metamorphosis inside her. Suddenly she wasn't a weak and naive girl but experienced sensual woman. Passion had muddled her. She jumped from the window sill, grabbed Arthur's hand and pulled him. The shocked Prince did not even resist. Lica took him to bed and pushed. Arthur fell on the pillows, staring in amazement at the girl. And Angelica climbed on top of him and pressed his hands to the bed. Then she began to kiss him passionately - on the lips, neck, chest, lower and lower... The Prince groaned and leaned toward the girl. And then the cold sobering thought literally pierced her brain...
"What am I doing?" she thought. "I will lose both Edward and Swein!"
But to refuse Arthur Angelica also did not want to...
And it was incredibly difficult for her to pull herself together.
She quickly pulled away from the Prince, jumped out of the bed and went to the window. Blood had pounded in her temples, heart was beating quickly.
The Lord of the Vampires came up to her, put his arm around her shoulders and buried his face in her long hair.
"You go to hell if you continue goofing on me! That's where we'll meet!"
She turned to Arthur and whispered:
"I'll go crazy! But... there's something I need to decide before I become yours. You've been waiting so long, Prince, please, wait some more. I beg you!"
"Strange... I would say "no" to any other woman. But with you I feel like a confused boy. I'm losing my head and you are turning me round your finger. I cannot refuse you. But I do not know what I will do, if you choose another man!"
And Arthur began kissing Lica again.
"Prince, Prince!" cried the girl, feeling his body tenses. "We are going to have a hard day, and I haven't slept yet. Let me get some rest!"
"My bed is at your disposal!"
"But..."
"Do not worry! If I give my word, I will wait for your decision, and will not hurt you."
"Excellent! Maybe next to you I will not have nightmares."
Angelica slipped from the Prince's embrace and jumped into bed. Arthur laughed.
"But you are going to sit there on the windowsill," said Lica. "Otherwise, I will beat with my pillow!"
"Agreed," the Prince smiled.
The girl put her hand under the soft pillow and soon fell asleep.
Like it ? Add to library!