Masha's eyes were heavy with exhaustion as she sat on the small rickety stool in the cramped room. The air was thick with the heavy scent of herbs that suffused every corner of the room as the old man's hands deftly applied a mixed portion on Czar's wounds. His daughter stood behind him, holding a tray of various herbs and awaiting the next request from her father.
Masha was so tired and badly wanted to sleep, but she didn't trust the people enough to close a lid in that situation. Although, they seemed to be helping Czar, she still couldn't trust them.
She looked around the room, wondering if they'd be passing the night there. The room itself was dimly-lit, with just the shimmering glow of a candle casting eerie shadows on the wall. It was quite small and cramped, Masha imagined it being a little uncomfortable for herself and Czar.
She watched in silence as the old man worked, her eyes fixed on the gen
Still feeling weak, Czar wanted to look away. He knew she wasn't aware of his consciousness and didn't want to take advantage of her ignorance by watching her get dressed. He watched through the dimlight as she let the towel fall freely from her body. Her back was turned to him, but from the shadows, he could tell she was a beauty to behold. Her hair cascaded down her back like a waterfall of the moon, stopping just before her waistline. He could feel the curve of her neck, the line of her spine and the way her skin glowed in the dim light. With a fluid grace and her body slender and supple, she slipped into a flowing silk gown that shimmered in the light. Finally, he forced himself to look away - even tho he knew it was dumb doing so when she was already done dressing. Only then was he able to realize he was in a strange place. He remembered passing out in the tavern and knew there was no way they could've gotten to the palace already. So, where was he?He looked back at Masha an
That was one question Masha had been dreading. She had feared Czar noticed back there in the tavern and wondered if he was going to say anything about it. She's also been thinking about it. She remember vividly that she had seen anger flash in Jaha's eyes when he turned at her at first and was surprised at the way he had halted without hurting her. She really couldn't understand why he acted that way. Did he perhaps, know she had something to do with his escape?She looked at Czar and met his cold gaze. He was obviously still waiting for an answer. "I ... I don't," she stammered. "I mean, of course, I do know him as Jaha, but I have no idea why he had halted that way."Silence descended upon them, but Czar kept staring at her. This made Masha uncomfortable. Finally, he looked away from her and hear her heave a deep sigh of relief Getting used to the silence, Masha's eyes would start drifting close again. She was very tired and needed a lot of sleep. As she dozed off, Czar found h
"I... I don't know," she wagged her head. "I mean, I... couldn't really see their faces like I said." she gulped nervously and glanced at her mother."I just need more time. Perhaps... if I could take some strands of your hair and chant on them for a while, I'd be able to discover who was with you at that moment."Jaha was totally displeased. He looked around in a huff before turning back at Martella."Are you sure you did not see anything?" He grumped. There was an echo of desperation and danger in his voice."I... did not," she shrugged. "Why would I keep it away from you if I did?"Tensed silence descended upon them. Jaha found it strange that Martella saw nothing. She was very powerful when it comes to foresight and would barely disappoint.He was pained and didn't know if she was telling the truth or not.Haga
Three days later, Masha and Czar arrived at the gates of the place. The healer had been surprised when Czar told him to ride towards the palace. He thought he was just an ordinary man in the pack and wondered what business he had with the palace. He concluded he was probably a guard. However, when they got to the gates and when the guards scrutinized the carriage, they expressed shock to see it was Czar. "My Prince!" They lowered their heads at once. They were utterly confused because the prince had left in a royal carriage, and they didn't expect him to return in something like that.The healer was baffled when he heard the way they addressed the young man in his carriage. Who was a prince?Signaling the guards to step outside, the healer continued the ride into the palace and stopped in the middle of the compound. Now, he looked a little nervous. Czar and Masha alighted the carriage, and guards came running towards them. "My prince! Were you hurt? Are you okay?" The leader amo
Masha had just finished taking her bath, changed into something nice, and was about to slip into bed when a knock interrupted her peace. It was already late at night, so she wondered who it could be.Reluctantly, she got up, the cool air sending shivers down her spine, and walked to the door. And as she opened it, Torak's face appeared before her.The dim light of the walkway shone on Masha's face, emphasizing the deep shadows under her eyes from a long day, while Torak's features were illuminated with an almost ethereal glow."Masha," he called ecstatically. "How are you doing? I um... I just got back and heard there was an attack with Jaha. You did not get hurt, did you?"Masha was a little edgy, especially with the way he scanned his eyes around her like he was searching for an injury."I am fine. You do not have to worry about me," she said with a smile. "Where did you go, anyway?""Hunting," Torak shrugged. I visited a few taverns after that. I had no idea you would be home toda
"Are you sure about this?" Louise asked in a tone that was barely above a whisper.She kept looking around fretfully, even though she and Sephora were the only ones in the room.Sephora sighed. "Of course, I am sure. Why are you so scared, Louise? I just told you the queen is in support of this."Louise, who was the school's senior captain, was still a little skeptical about the whole thing. Although she disliked the vampire as well and wouldn't mind getting her punished, she had her fears."What about the prince?" She inquired. "She is still his wife, you know? What if he gets angry and tries to punish us for it?"Sephora tilted her head back and erupted into laughter that filled the air. This got the young woman muddled."Are you talking about the prince?" She asked with a ridiculous grin. "The prince hates the vampire more than we do, and I am certain he will not blink a lid even if she is getting burned."She paused and held the woman's hands. "I have told you, Louise, you have
Masha was confident as she followed them back to the previous room, where her bag was. She could not wait to prove them wrong and lash out on them. She understood the fact that the wolves did not like her, but accusing her of theft? That was beyond the line. The rumors spread so fast that more students joined them as they all headed for the room. Finally, they arrived, and Louise went right for Masha's bag. "This is yours, right?" She lifted it up to Masha, who responded with a nod. "Let's get to work, then." Opening the bag, she emptied it on the floor, letting all the contents spill out. Masha was displeased and wanted to grumble about it, but she froze when she saw unfamiliar content on these floors with her things. The vein on her forehead creased as she felt a skip in her heartbeat. Everyone around her gasped, including the two captains. "Tha
Swiftly, Arabella helped Masha sling onto the back of her horse and began riding away with her. It was a very complicated ride since Masha was unconscious and unstable on the horse, but Arabella was thankful she didn't fall off.Her heart kept cracking at the sight of Masha. The whips had torn some of the fabrics of her dress, leaving her bare skin open and wounded. Her face had imprints on it, and there was even a little cut on her lip. She was a total mess."I am so sorry, Masha," Arabella kept apologizing. "We are almost home."She spurred her horse on, urging it to gallop faster through the dense woods. The wind whipped through her hair, and every jolt and bump in the terrain made her stomach churn.After what seemed like an eternity, they finally got to the palace, and the guards ran after Arabella immediately. As soon as she climbed down from the horse, one of them took Masha down as well, carr