See You In Hell

Hunger

Ivanna returned to her chambers with a strange feeling settling heavily in her chest.

She couldn't quite explain it.

The walk through the garden had been simple enough. She and Giveon had talked, held hands, and sat together beneath the fading evening sky. Nothing extraordinary had happened.

Yet somehow, she felt different.

Perhaps it was because, for the first time since arriving at the castle, she had begun to see her husband as more than the frightening prince everyone had warned her about.

There was a gentleness to him.

A hidden one.

One that he rarely allowed anyone to see.

The moment she entered her chambers, the maids greeted her and immediately began preparing her for bed.

"My lady," one of them said, "your bath is ready."

Ivanna nodded.

"Thank you."

She followed them into the bathing room.

Warm steam filled the air, carrying the delicate scent of herbs and flowers. Candles had been placed around the room, their golden flames dancing softly against the walls.

Ivanna stepped into the warm bath and closed her eyes.

The warmth immediately soothed her tired body.

The maids carefully washed her long hair and helped her bathe. When they were finished, they dried her gently before rubbing scented oils over her arms, shoulders, and legs.

The fragrance was soft and sweet.

Ivanna barely noticed.

Her mind was elsewhere.

It kept returning to the garden.

To Giveon.

She remembered the warmth of his hand around hers.

She remembered the way his fingers had rested gently against her skin.

But most of all, she remembered his embrace.

Her eyes opened.

Her cheeks warmed.

She could still remember the feeling of his chest against hers.

Strong.

Firm.

Warm.

His arms had wrapped around her with such surprising protectiveness that she had forgotten to be afraid.

She had simply stood there in his arms.

And she had felt safe.

Ivanna pressed her lips together.

Why was she thinking about that now?

One of the maids approached with her nightgown.

"My lady."

Ivanna accepted it.

"Thank you."

The maids helped her dress before arranging her hair loosely around her shoulders.

When they were finished, they bowed and left the room.

Ivanna was finally alone.

She walked toward the window.

Outside, tiny white flakes were falling from the dark sky.

Snow.

Only a light snowfall, but enough to cover the garden with a thin layer of white.

She smiled faintly.

It was beautiful.

Ivanna reached for the window and closed it slightly, leaving a small opening to allow fresh air into the room.

The cold breeze touched her face.

She shivered.

Then she stepped away from the window.

The moment she did, her thoughts returned to Giveon again.

She sighed.

She was beginning to find that man occupying her thoughts far too often.

Her mind returned to the conversation in the garden.

We need an heir.

Her smile disappeared.

The reality settled over her again.

An heir.

She sat slowly on the edge of the bed.

She had always known that this was part of her responsibility.

Her marriage to Giveon wasn't an ordinary marriage.

It had been arranged to bring peace between two kingdoms.

There had been conditions.

Promises.

Responsibilities.

And among those responsibilities was giving Giveon a child who would one day inherit the throne.

Ivanna looked down at her hands.

She wasn't ignorant.

She understood what marriage between a man and woman eventually required.

But understanding something and being ready for it were two completely different things.

Her cheeks became warm again.

She imagined Giveon standing before her, no longer distant or guarded.

She immediately shook her head.

"Stop it."

She covered her face.

Why was she embarrassing herself over thoughts she shouldn't even be entertaining?

Giveon had told her he wouldn't force her.

He had promised to wait.

That should have made her feel relieved.

And it did.

But strangely, it also made her heart flutter.

Because he was giving her a choice.

He wasn't treating her like some obligation handed to him by the kingdom.

He was treating her like a person.

His wife.

Ivanna slowly lay down.

She pulled the covers over herself.

Her eyes wandered around the room.

Then they stopped at the couch.

She frowned.

The couch.

She remembered how Giveon had slept there before.

Back then, she had been grateful for the distance.

She had wanted space between them.

She had been frightened of him.

But now...

She stared at the couch for several seconds.

Why did she suddenly dislike the thought of him sleeping there?

Her brows knitted together.

It was strange.

She had spent so much time wishing he would stay away from her.

Now she was secretly wishing he would come closer.

When had that changed?

She turned onto her side.

Perhaps it was simply because she was beginning to become accustomed to him.

That had to be it.

Nothing more.

She closed her eyes.

But the thought remained.

She wanted him near.

She wanted to wake up and know he was there.

She wanted to hear his voice in the morning.

She wanted to walk beside him again.

Ivanna's eyes opened.

She immediately frowned at herself.

"What is wrong with me?"

No answer came.

Only the quiet sound of snow brushing against the window.

Eventually, her thoughts became less organized.

Her eyelids grew heavier.

The warmth of the bed pulled her deeper into sleep.

And slowly, without even realizing it, Ivanna drifted away.

---

Several hours passed.

The castle had become completely silent.

Most of the candles in the corridors had burned low.

The guards stood watch outside the doors, while the servants had retired to their quarters.

Then the door to the royal chambers opened.

Giveon stepped inside.

He closed the door quietly behind him.

The room was almost completely dark.

Only a few candles remained lit, their flames flickering weakly.

Giveon's eyes adjusted instantly.

He looked toward the bed.

And stopped.

Ivanna was asleep.

For several moments, he simply stood there.

Something about seeing her asleep affected him in a way he hadn't expected.

She looked so peaceful.

So completely unaware of the problems waiting outside those walls.

Giveon slowly approached.

His footsteps were almost silent.

When he reached the side of the bed, he looked down at her.

Her long lashes rested against her cheeks.

Her small nose was slightly scrunched as she slept.

Her lips were parted just enough for her slow breathing to escape.

Her hair had fallen loosely around her face.

Giveon stared.

He shouldn't have.

He knew that.

But he couldn't seem to look away.

His gaze traveled over her peaceful features.

She looked nothing like the frightened woman who had sat beside him in the garden.

There was no fear in her expression now.

Only innocence.

Peace.

Trust.

Giveon's chest tightened.

He wondered what she was dreaming about.

Perhaps something from her childhood.

Perhaps her family.

Perhaps nothing at all.

His gaze fell briefly toward her nightgown.

He immediately looked away.

Yet a moment later, his eyes returned.

The simple sight of her made something inside him stir.

His body grew warmer.

His breathing became slightly deeper.

His eyes began to change.

Giveon clenched his jaw.

He had promised himself he would be patient.

He wasn't going to allow his instincts to control him.

He stepped closer anyway.

His hand slowly rose.

For a moment, he hesitated.

Then his fingers gently touched her cheek.

Her skin was incredibly soft.

Ivanna stirred.

Giveon's hand immediately stopped.

Her lashes fluttered slightly, and she made a quiet sound in her sleep.

He pulled away.

He watched her carefully.

She didn't wake.

Giveon released a breath.

He hadn't realized he had been holding it.

His eyes remained on her.

There was something almost painful about how much he wanted to be close to her.

Not simply because she was beautiful.

But because of what she made him feel.

Peace.

He had spent his entire life surrounded by conflict.

Even inside the castle, he was never truly at ease.

There was always someone plotting.

Someone watching.

Someone waiting for him to make a mistake.

But with Ivanna, things felt different.

He didn't have to be the prince.

He didn't have to be the warrior.

He could simply be a man sitting beside the woman he had married.

Giveon lowered his head.

"You're making this difficult," he whispered.

Ivanna obviously didn't hear him.

She remained asleep.

Giveon straightened.

His gaze lingered on her for another moment.

Then he stepped backward.

He needed to leave.

He needed to regain control of himself.

He turned toward the bathroom.

But before he could reach it, he stopped.

He looked back at her.

There was something he had never expected when he entered this marriage.

He had expected duty.

Responsibility.

An alliance.

He hadn't expected affection.

He certainly hadn't expected to care about her happiness.

And he hadn't expected to be afraid of hurting her.

Giveon exhaled.

Then he finally entered the bathroom.

A few moments later, the sound of water echoed softly through the chambers.

He lowered himself into the cold bath.

The water immediately cooled his heated skin.

He leaned his head against the edge and closed his eyes.

His thoughts were still filled with Ivanna.

The garden.

Her smile.

Her hand in his.

The way she had rested against him.

He remembered how quickly his instincts had awakened when he held her.

His eyes opened.

He stared at the ceiling.

He couldn't lose control.

Not with her.

Never with her.

He had seen what happened to vampires who allowed their instincts to rule them.

They became slaves to their desires.

They stopped seeing people as people.

Giveon refused to become that creature.

He had spent his entire life fighting against the darker parts of himself.

He wasn't going to let them win now.

He closed his eyes again.

"I'll wait," he whispered to himself.

He had given Ivanna his word.

He would keep it.

No matter how difficult it became.

---

Back in the bedroom, Ivanna shifted beneath the covers.

Still asleep, she turned toward the empty space beside her.

Her hand stretched across the mattress.

Her fingers found nothing.

She frowned slightly in her sleep.

Then she pulled the covers closer and settled again.

She didn't know why she had reached for him.

She didn't even know she had done it.

But perhaps, somewhere in her heart, she was already beginning to understand something her mind wasn't ready to accept.

She wanted Giveon near her.

And little by little, the man she had once feared was becoming the man she secretly waited for.