Chapter 7: The River

Niklaus was looking outside the castle as the sun was on the horizon. He cannot get any sleep lately for he was fearing that his cousin might be in danger. The all lords of the Higher Court were worried about their monarch.

"Anything?" Nick asked his friend, Baron of Fell, Marsh, before he shook his head. Nick sighed before he was taking a seat at the head of the council meeting. There were five of them, the inner circle that Nick trusted to find his missing cousin.

Bloody hell, Arabella, why do you have to be so stubborn at times? He thought before Ian was looking at him.

"So, what do we do now? We cannot just sit idly and not be taking action about this. The prince will come here any day now and if Her Highness was not around to receive him—"

"There will be a catastrophe. I know," Nick said as he was rubbing his dry mouth. He did not know where or when Arabella has been slipping away from the palace but their meeting was interrupted when someone burst through the door.

"My lords," the guard said as Nick and the others; Ian, Tom, Dan, and Marsh, stood to attention at the latest information that they might have.

"What is it?" Nick asked before the guard was looking at the inner circle.

"Her Highness, her mare—"

There was nothing left to say for Nick was out of the room as well as the others. They were running to the stable before the mare was spooked and the guards were trying to calm it down.

"Easy boy, easy," Nick said as he was slowly reaching for the animal. The mare calmed down as Nick was putting his hand on his nose. The horse neighed.

"Check the saddle," he instructed and the guards found out there were clothes, some money, and some food that Arabella might have carried with her. But there was nothing that indicated where she might have been.

"Bloody hell," Nick mumbled before Marsh, the tracker, was coming forward and checked the horse for any track that they can follow to find the missing princess.

"Fine silt, pine needles. Mud," Marsh said as Nick and the others were waiting for his explanation.

"Well?" he asked before Marsh was nodding at him.

"I think I know where the queen might be hiding," his friend said before Nick was instructing the guards to get their horses ready. It was a bloody time for Arabella to be coming home.

"Hold on, cousin. Hold on," Nick said as he was patting the spooked mare, not knowing if his cousin was in any danger or safety at all.

*****

It has been a couple of days since I was working at the tent with Alvina. We have somewhat become fast friends and she has more than once made me something—AKA her dresses—and asked me to wear it.

I have no complaints about Aiden was being protective of me whenever I was walking home with him. he did not realize that he was doing it whenever I was in close proximity with him. I smiled at the thought before I was walking toward the river that I knew from my geography lesson when I was a little kid.

It was not far from the village and it has been a long time since I was taking a bath in the river. I wanted to feel the cold water hit my skin and soaked for a longer time. I was grateful that Aiden has worked well at his home but I don't fully bathe whenever I wanted to save the water.

Hence, why I was here, alone in the dark as I was shredding the dress that Alvina gave to me today.

I was taking a small dip of my toes as I was looking at the river. It was cold to my touch before I was removing my clothes, leaving only my flimsy chemise to cover me up from any peeping toms.

But of course, I was not aware that there were people around me right now, thank you my super hearing.

The river was clean and serene that I think it was a waste to not get a skinny dip here, particularly with someone that might be holding his attraction to me in his eyes. I was looking at the night sky, blinking with stars before I was looking at the faraway capital city of Royal Molftus. It has been forever since I was free like this.

I took a step inside the river as I was sighing. The water was so cold but I did not feel anything at all since my skin was thick and I can handle anything. A perk of being a Vampyre, of course, but I have to be careful so that Aiden would not be finding out who I really was.

Or what I was.

The gentry of Niapachad Island was holding a secret, that's why we don't usually mingle with the commoners for there was folklore that regarding the gentry. It was a sickness that was supposed to be the rite of passage but now…I don't know if I really wanted it or not.

For Aiden was a human and I was a monster in his eyes.

I dipped myself into the cold water as I was looking at the moon. It was a full moon and I cannot think of anything else that would be perfect right now. Perhaps if Aiden was here with me, I would not be asking for anything else. I was smiling before my sensitive ears were hearing things in the bushes.

I turned around to see with my night vision. There were two people hiding in the bushes. No, not two. Perhaps more and before I can get away, they stepped out of their hidings.

"Well, well, well. If it wasn't the whore of Aiden Blackwood," the man, that seemed to be their leader, spoke to me as I was looking at them. I don't know what's worse, that there was so much weakness in front of me right now, or that I was just being called a whore.

I might take an offend at that but right now, it doesn't matter for I was trapped between my would-be meals and my freedom.

Fuck my life!

*****

Aiden was looking around as he noticing that not many of the lumberjacks were at work today. Especially his pain in the ass boss. For once in his life, Aiden was thankful for it but something was itching along his skin, like something bad will happen. He turned to look at his nearest coworker and asked him where the boss was.

"I don't know but there was a talk that they might go to the river today. I don't know why but perhaps they want to skinny dip or something," he said before Aiden waved goodbyes and went to the market to get Arabella from work.

When he arrived at the market, Alvina stood outside the tent as she was looking at the passerby. No one seemed to be stopping by at her tent to buy any clothes for they were expensive.

But they were high quality so it was not Aiden's place to judge anyway.

"Well, looks here to come to pick his bride," Alvina said as she smirked. Aiden shook his head before he was looking around the tent.

"So, where is she?"

"Who?" Alvina said before he was rubbing his face with his hands.

"Alvina, I don't have much time. I need to get Arabella back before Nana will be screaming at me—"

"But, she told me that she go home early today. Said something about a thing to be done," Alvina said as Aiden snapped his eyes at her.

"What?"

"Your friend asked me to leave early today and to be honest, I just let her go. We won't get many customers today so I might close up early and Arabella has left for an hour now," she said before Aiden blinked at her.

"Do you know where she was going?" he asked before his friend shrugged.

"I don't know but she seemed excited to go on the road that was close to the river. Why?"

Hell, he thought before he was picking up on his speed as Aiden was running for the fear that Arabella will be in danger. Alvina was calling after him but he ignored her for Aiden knew that the river will be crowded with something else.

Something that he did not wish upon his guest.

*****

"Don't be shy, love. Why don't we play together? That would be fun," the big man said as I was stepping back into the river. I don't think that these people were nice by the looks of it. But I know one thing that they don't.

They don't stand a chance against a gentry, a royal, like me. A Vampyre on that matter as well.

"What do you want?" I asked him before the big man sneered.

"Don't play dumb. We see you around the market with that Blackwood lad you fuck. So, we want a taste of what he had at home but it will be our little secret, I promise you," the man winked at me before the others were commenting something lewd in that regard. They laughed when they looked at my facial expression for they think it was from fear.

But no, it was from anger that I have been controlling to let go for days now.

Before I can unleash it though, someone came through the woods and I know that silhouette anywhere I went. Even in my sleep.

Aiden staggered to the side of the river in front of me as he was looking at the men that were surrounding us right now.

"If you wish to walk out of here alive, I suggest you leave the river and the lady alone," Aiden growled before I was looking at the men. They smirked and they were ready to come forward. Suddenly I knew what it was.

They will attack Aiden and I have to watch it by.