Attack
1714 Words
Giveon turned back to look at her.
"Go and have a bath," he said. "We need to leave before anyone notices we're gone."
Ivanna's eyes brightened.
"Really?"
A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
"Really."
For the first time that morning, excitement replaced the lingering fear from her nightmare.
She quickly got out of bed and hurried toward the bathroom.
The moment she stepped inside, she realized she had a small problem.
She was used to having maids do almost everything for her.
Bathing her.
Washing her hair.
Helping her dress.
Now she had to do everything herself.
She struggled a little, nearly dropping the soap twice and getting water all over the floor as she tried to wash her hair. But eventually, she managed.
When she finally stepped out of the bathroom, she was wrapped in a cloth, her damp hair dripping water down her back.
"Giveon?"
There was no answer.
She looked around.
He was nowhere in the chambers.
Her eyes fell on the bed.
A set of clothes had been placed neatly on top.
Ivanna walked closer.
The dress was simple.
There were no elaborate designs or expensive embroidery like the dresses she normally wore. Yet one look was enough to tell her that the material was of excellent quality.
She touched it carefully.
"Simple," she murmured.
She picked it up and tried to figure out how to wear it.
After several minutes of fumbling with the fabric, she finally managed to get it on.
It wasn't perfect, but it would do.
She pulled her hair into a loose bun and then opened the wardrobe, searching for something else.
Her fingers found a dark cloak.
She draped it over her shoulders and looked at herself in the mirror.
She barely recognized the woman staring back at her.
She looked less like a princess.
More like an ordinary young woman.
A smile appeared on her lips.
She liked it.
Ivanna turned toward the door.
Just as her hand reached for the handle, the door opened.
She stepped back.
Giveon walked in.
He was dressed differently too.
Gone were his usual regal clothes.
He wore simple dark trousers and a plain shirt beneath a cloak. Nothing about him suggested that he was a prince.
Ivanna looked him over.
"You look different."
"So do you."
He closed the door behind him.
"We need to dress simply."
"Why?"
"If people recognize us, we won't be able to move freely."
Ivanna nodded.
That made sense.
Giveon held out his arm.
"Come."
She slipped her arm through his.
Together, they left the chambers.
They moved quietly through the castle corridors, avoiding servants and anyone who might question where they were going.
Soon, they reached the stables.
A beautiful black horse stood waiting.
Giveon helped Ivanna onto the saddle before mounting behind her.
He wrapped one arm around her waist to steady her.
The closeness made her heart skip.
She pretended not to notice.
The sun was almost fully up now, casting a pale golden light over the horizon.
And together, they rode away from the castle.
---
Ivanna had expected the village to be quiet so early in the morning.
She was wrong.
The moment they entered the village, she stared.
People were already everywhere.
Women carried baskets filled with food.
Men pushed carts loaded with goods.
Children ran through the streets, laughing and chasing one another.
Shopkeepers arranged their displays.
Bakers carried trays of freshly baked bread.
The village was alive.
Ivanna's eyes widened.
"It is beautiful."
Giveon glanced at her.
"You like it?"
"I love it."
She looked around again.
For a moment, she forgot everything.
The castle.
The war.
The strange rumors surrounding Giveon.
The fear she had felt since arriving.
Here, everything seemed almost normal.
Almost human.
She looked at the people walking past them.
"They all look human."
"Some are."
Ivanna looked at him.
"Some?"
Giveon nodded.
"Humans live among vampires in this kingdom."
She blinked.
"I thought vampires enslaved humans."
"Some do."
His expression hardened slightly.
"But not here."
Ivanna studied him.
"Humans are allowed to live freely?"
"Yes."
She looked around again.
There were humans and vampires walking beside each other as though it were the most ordinary thing in the world.
She had never imagined such a thing.
They rode slowly through the village until they eventually reached the market.
Ivanna's eyes grew even wider.
There were gold merchants displaying beautiful jewelry.
Flower sellers sat beneath colorful canopies.
A bakery released the delicious smell of freshly baked bread into the street.
There were fabric shops, charm sellers, food stalls and countless other stores.
Ivanna couldn't stop looking.
When they finally dismounted, Giveon took her hand.
"Stay close."
She nodded.
They began walking through the crowded market.
Ivanna stopped almost immediately when she saw flowers.
Roses.
Hundreds of them.
Red, white, pink and even deep purple.
She walked toward the flower stall without realizing that Giveon had stopped behind her.
She picked up a red rose.
"It is beautiful."
The elderly flower seller smiled.
"Would you like one, my lady?"
Ivanna opened her mouth to answer.
"How much for the flowers?"
She turned.
Giveon was already reaching into his cloak.
The woman gave him the price.
Giveon handed her the coins.
But instead of buying one flower, he bought several.
Ivanna stared.
"Giveon!"
He looked at her.
"You bought too many."
"We can plant them in the garden."
She blinked.
"The garden?"
"Yes."
A smile slowly appeared on her face.
"You really bought all of them?"
"Apparently."
She laughed softly.
The flower seller watched them with an amused expression.
Giveon handed the flowers to one of the guards secretly following them.
Ivanna hadn't even noticed the guards before.
As Giveon caught up with her, she was already several steps ahead.
She stopped at almost every stall.
Everything fascinated her.
The colorful fabrics.
The jewelry.
The little charms.
The food.
The toys.
And every time something caught her attention for more than a few seconds, Giveon bought it.
"You don't have to buy everything I look at," she protested.
"I know."
"Then why do you keep buying them?"
"Because you like them."
She didn't know what to say to that.
Her cheeks warmed.
They continued walking.
Then—
Grrrrrrr.
Ivanna froze.
Giveon looked at her.
Her face turned bright red.
"My stomach..."
He smiled.
"I heard."
She covered her face in embarrassment.
"Don't laugh."
"I'm not."
"You are."
"I'm not."
His smile betrayed him.
Ivanna narrowed her eyes at him.
"You are."
He chuckled.
"Come."
He led her toward a small local restaurant.
The place was modest but warm, with wooden tables and the comforting smell of freshly cooked food.
The moment they entered, an elderly woman behind the counter looked up.
Her face immediately brightened.
"Giveon?"
Giveon smiled.
"It's been a while."
The woman hurried around the counter.
"My goodness! Look at you."
She hugged him warmly.
Ivanna stared.
She had never seen anyone greet Giveon so casually.
The woman finally noticed Ivanna.
"And who is this?"
Giveon glanced at his wife.
"My wife."
The woman's eyes widened.
"Your wife?"
She looked between them, then smiled brightly.
"Your mother would have been so happy to see this day."
Giveon's expression softened.
"You knew my mother?"
"Knew her?" The woman laughed. "We were friends long before you were even born."
She turned to Ivanna.
"Your mother-in-law was a wonderful woman."
Ivanna smiled politely.
"I wish I could have met her."
The woman's smile became gentler.
"You would have loved her."
They ordered breakfast.
When the food arrived, Ivanna took one bite.
Her eyes widened.
"This is delicious."
The old woman laughed.
"I've been cooking this way for forty years."
"You are very talented."
Giveon watched Ivanna with quiet amusement.
He was happy.
Not because she praised the food.
But because she was happy.
After breakfast, they continued exploring.
Their horse followed behind them, guided by one of the guards.
Ivanna stopped at another stall.
Then another.
And another.
At one point, she found herself staring at a collection of small charms.
She picked one up.
It was beautifully carved.
"What does this mean?"
The shopkeeper began explaining.
But before he could finish—
A loud scream echoed through the market.
Everyone froze.
Then another scream followed.
People began running.
"What is happening?"
Ivanna turned toward Giveon.
His expression had changed.
The warmth in his eyes disappeared.
The guard who had been following them suddenly rushed into the shop.
"Your Highness."
Giveon's gaze sharpened.
"What happened?"
"Witches."
The single word changed everything.
"Witches are attacking the village."
Chaos erupted.
People screamed and pushed through the streets.
Stalls were overturned.
Goods scattered across the ground.
Children cried as their parents dragged them away.
The horse panicked.
It reared suddenly before bolting into the crowd.
Ivanna grabbed Giveon's arm.
"Giveon!"
"Don't be afraid."
His voice was unnervingly calm.
He looked around once.
Then he grabbed her.
Before Ivanna could understand what he was doing, he lifted her effortlessly into his arms.
"Hold on."
"What—?"
Giveon jumped.
Not like a normal man.
He leapt impossibly high.
Ivanna gasped.
The ground disappeared beneath them.
He landed on the roof of a nearby building.
Then jumped again.
And again.
He moved with terrifying speed, carrying her as though she weighed nothing.
Ivanna clung tightly to him.
She had never known he could move like this.
The buildings seemed to blur around them.
Within minutes, the familiar towers of the castle appeared in the distance.
Giveon landed safely within the castle grounds.
Ivanna was still staring at him in disbelief.
He lowered her gently to the ground.
"Are you alright?"
She nodded slowly.
"Yes."
"I need you to stay in your chambers."
"But—"
"Please."
His voice was firm.
He turned toward the guards.
"Stay outside her chambers. No one enters without my permission."
The guards bowed.
Giveon looked back at Ivanna.
"I'll return as soon as possible."
Before she could say anything else, he turned and disappeared down the corridor.
Ivanna stood there silently.
Her fingers tightened around the edge of her cloak.
For the first time since leaving the castle that morning, the happiness she'd felt was gone.
The witches had attacked.
And Giveon was going back to face them.
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