The Royal Quest

Chapter 16. The kind Vampire

Dahlia felt years already soaking in the water, while Massimo didn't leave her again as he only sat beside a tree near the river while watching the chilling lady. His mind is still occupied by many things about the lady who has the same scent of blood as Amaia. Including her real identity, and why her friends call her 'princess'.

"Ca-can I get out now?" The impatient lady asked again for the ninth time.

Massimo felt pity for Dahlia as he knew how far a mortal can take, but he just wanted her to be safe as the forest was not his territory and worried that he may not be able to protect her if a bunch of predators attacked them.

Before he answered, he stood on his and look around, trying to analyze if there is still danger around. Once satisfied, he walked closer to the river and crouch while Dahlia also move towards him.

"Let me see your arm."

Dahlia didn't argue with him anymore as she felt exhausted and only wants to save her remaining strength to find her friends in the forest.

She carefully raised her wounded arm to show it to the stranger vampire. And the moment she lift it out of the water, Massimo closes his eyes as he sniff her scent that burst in the air.

"Apples," he muttered.

"Wha-what?" Dahlia asked confusingly, looking up to him with furrowed eyebrows.

"You smell like apple." Massimo declared with a smirk.

"You're not going to devour me, are you?" Dahlia asked in her low tone while Massimo is checking her wound, touching her damp warm skin.

"I am a vampire, of course I wanted to." He teasingly said.

"Your cut is deep, it might leave you a mark." He added referring to her wound.

"But you didn't." Dahlia responded, ignoring his comment about her wound.

"Or do you always do this? Making your victim feeling safe at first before you strike?" She added.

Massimo smiled while helping Dahlia to get out of the river and wrapped her body with his cloak to warm her.

"I'm glad that I made you feel safe and appreciated what I did." He responded as he lead her to the giant root of tree to sit.

"No, you're wrong. How could I feel safe when you just tortured me?" Dahlia countered weakly as she slowly drop her shivering body.

Massimo only chuckles by her word and pull out a clean dry fabric. He then started bandaging the lady's wound.

"This should be treated immediately to avoid infections."

"We met before, right?" Suddenly Dahlia inquired while watching him.

"Really? When?" He was amazed by the information.

"Seriously? Or you are just pretending not to remember me?" 

"I'm sorry, but it's true. I've been living for too long and my brain is been filled with lots of memories. That's why I'm having a hard time remembering thing already. But if you tell me what happened the night we met, maybe I could recall you." Massimo explained.

"There, done." He announced once he's done wrapping her wound.

"It wasn't nightime actually." Dahlia said that made the man chuckle.

"That's impossible, I'm a night walker, you see? How on earth we met during daytime?"

"The locket in the river, you remember?"

"Oh." Massimo was stunned by the information and stared at her face with furrowed eyebrows.

"So, it's you?" 

"Yes, I recognize your golden eyes." Dahlia honestly said, looking at him.

"I see, anyway you should go to a healer as soon as possible. And I knew one who resides in a ridge, you and your friends can go there later. Just make sure you travel under the sunlight so the vampires who is hunting you couldn't easily get near you." He explained.

"Hunting me? Why? I am supposed to hunt them not the other way." Dahlia unbeliavably said as she stretch her legs on the ground.

"You're a vampire hunter?" Massimo doubtly inquired.

"Ahhh no, I'm not." Dahlia looked down and never speaks again about it.

'I need to be careful with my word, he is still one of them even he rescued me.' She thought and sighed.

"I think I'm good now, I should find my friends." Dahlia said and about to stand but her body wobbles. Lickily Massimo caught her before she slumped on the ground.

"I told you, they are on their way here by now. You should get some rest while waiting." He responded

Dahlia sighed deeply and was convinced to just believe the immortal after all of what he did to her.

"Are you telling me the truth?" She asked.

"Why would I lie?" Massimo countered.

"Maybe because you wanted me as your meal and you made things up so I wont run away." Dahlia honestly responded.

"Silly." Massimo chuckles at her.

"How do you feel now?" He inquired as he noticed her skin had become a bit pale because of the blood loss.

"Exhausted and cold, very" Dahlia leaned her back on the tree trunk and closed her eyes.

*****

Dahlia woke up with the sudden noise around her.

"Step back!" Baron angrily hissed at Massimo as he points the silver blade at him.

"Uhmm…" Dahlia whimpered as she flicker her eyes to adjust her sight.

"Princess, are you okay?" Jamie asked worriedly as he support Dahlia's body.

"Jamie? You're safe." She said with her still groggy voice.

"Yes, Your Highness. The kind vampire saved us, he get rod all of the monsters who attacked us and give your location that is why we found you." The young man explained with a smile.

"Saved you?" Dahlia was confused and the boy just nodded in response.

"Dahlia! Are you alright!?" Baron also inquired as he rapidly get near her.

"Baron?" 

"Yes, it's me. What happened? Did he hurt you!? You look so pale." He commented, caressing her face gently.

"No, I'm fine." Dahlia told him while jerking her head around, trying to find the man who rescued her and realized that the sun had risen up already.

"Where is he?" She asked.

"You mean the bloodsucker who took you away?" Baron bluntly inquired.

"He's there, Your Highness." Jamie pointed his finger to a big tree, and the she saw the vampire trying to hide himself from sunlight under the shadow of a giant tree.

Dahlia moved and about to step her feet towards the direction but Baron tried to stop her.

"You can't, he is dangerous." He warned her but Dahlia as being herself didn't listen to them man and continue to stride slowly towards the shadow.

"Princess," Baron called her again but still Dahlia act like she didn't heard anything.

She step closer and halt in front of the man who's in the shade while she stand under the sunlight.

"Thank you." She finally let out, gazing straight to his golden flared eyes and started taking off the cloak he lend to her.

"Here, this is what keeping you safe from sunlight, right?" 

"Keep it," 

"Don't worry, the sunlight is warming me up already." She told him, showing her sweet smile as she stretched her arm forward to give back the cloak.

"Dahlia, let's go. We need to get moving while it is still daytime." Baron suddenly interrupted. However, Dahlia and Massimo just ignore him while gazing into each other's eyes.

"You need to see a doctor, you lost too much blood." Massimo reminded her.

"Okay," her short answer without withdrawing her eyes at him.

"Just go straight to the east, follow the flow of the river and you will see his house in the middle of an orchard."

"Don't worry, we can manage to find a doctor in the closest town. We don't need your direction, you can already leave us alone." Baron interrupted with his hostile manner as he felt irritated with the sight.

"Bloodsucker." He added with a very low voice but still Massimo is able to hear his words.

"I'm afraid that is the closest doctor you will ever find. You may have to stay another night in the forest before you reach the nearest town and Dahlia needs to be treated as soon as possible." The humble vampire explained.

"Don't worry, he is a mortal like you not a bloodsucker." Massimo added and about to leave to enter the darkest spot in the forest to pass time until nightfall.

"Come with us." Dahlia stopped him.

"You said that the doctor is your friend, right? He may not entertain stranger travelers who suddenly just knock in his door, will he? Besides, we are not familiar with the woods." She proposed while Baron did not like the idea of it.

"I'm a vampire you see? I can't travel under the daylight." Massimo refused.

"But you can ride inside our wagon, it will protect you from sunlight." Dahlia insisted but Baron couldn't take it anymore and step forward.

"Dahlia, you can't invite a vampire to come with us. It's not a good idea, he may cause trouble and I don't want you getting hurt again." Baron whispered but Massimo heard it loud and clear.

He also noticed how the man looks at the lady and for some reason he doesn't want that sight but he hardly resist his emotions and tried hard not to get attached with the lady just because she owns the same scent of blood as Amaia.

"No, you're on your own now with your friends." He said before disappearing in front of her again.

Dahlia sighed with disappointment as she wanted to know more about the vampire and the true reason behind their rescue.