NIGHT by I. Rin (fantasy books to read .TXT) 📖

A new mission

 

There was a bedroom. The fire was burning brightly and a wide four-poster bed was in the far corner of the room. The Prince was lying there on the high pillows. When Lica saw him, her heart ached with joy.

 

“Prince,” she said quietly. “Aren’t you sleeping?”

 

“I think, I am sleeping if I am dreaming of you again,” the young man said.

 

 “It’s me, I’m real. I came here to look after you!”

 

“It’s not true!” the Prince exclaimed and tried to sit up.

 

However, he was still too weak, so he fell back.

 

“Drink it,” Lica said, giving him the herbal potion. “You’ll feel better.”

 

The Prince Night made a​ few sips and lay down on the pillows.

 

“But how did you get here?” he asked. “Margo told me that you had left.”

 

“Margo?” Angelica did not understand.

 

“The witch. Her name is Margo!”

 

“Yeah, she was right, I had been away for a short time but I could not leave you here alone.”

 

At that time the witch entered the Prince’s room.

 

“I see, Swein, you’re in good hands, so I am leaving for a while on business. I’ll be back tomorrow. And you, my dear, come here. I’ll show you where the food is.”

 

The hostess took Lica to the store-room and showed her everything. Then she said goodbye to her, came out of the cave, snapped her fingers and... disappeared. The girl went back to the Prince’s room.

 

“Swein, are you sure that the witch has really left the cave?” she asked quietly.

 

The Prince nodded.

 

“Then I have something to tell you.”

 

And Angelica told Swein everything: about her conversa-tion with Henry, about her visit to the tomb, that when she had opened the lid she had seen the normal body of Goblin King. But she said nothing about Leya, the daughter of Elsa, because she had promised not to give her out. Swein was greatly impressed by Lica’s story.

 

“But why?” he couldn’t understand it. “Why hadn’t Margo brought me back to my own body? Why did she need the Prince Edward?”

“I do not know,” Angelica shrugged. “In any case, we’d better to keep silent. Promise me, Prince!”

 

Swein agreed.

 

“Now I am more interested in this story,” he grinned. “Angelica, what about going for a walk with me! I have been here for a long time.”

 

“But you are too weak!”

 

“I would be even weaker if I didn’t move. Give me my clothes and leave the room for ten minutes. I’ll call you when I’m ready.”

 

The girl brought the Prince’s clothes and put it next to him.

 

“Are you sure that you can do it yourself?” she asked.

 

“You cannot wait to see the Prince naked?” Swein chuckled. “You, you...” Lica blushed. “You are, Swein, always the same!

 

You used to be the boor and you still are!”

 

She ran out of the room and stopped in the corridor, leaning the stone wall. After a while, the Prince called her:

“Angelica, can you help me up! I have really got excited and slightly overestimated my power.”

Lica came into the bedroom and saw the Prince, already dressed, was sitting on the bed. She came closer and said:

“Hold on to me!”

 

“But I am a man and you are a delicate girl!” “It won’t be difficult!”

She held the Prince around the waist and helped him to stand up. Then walking slowly they came out of the cave.

“How nice!” the young man said, taking a breath of fresh air. “Look how starry the sky is!”

“The sky, yes, it’s starry,” Angelica agreed. “But I don’t rec-ommend you to stay here for a long time. You are still too weak.”

 

“You know,” the Prince said, “I suddenly felt hungry! Do not you cook something for us?”

“I hope not red meat?” Lica asked suspiciously.

 

“No,” Swein smiled. “You can make the usual bread and cheese.”

“Then let’s go inside!”

 

The girl took the Prince into the room, where she usually had spoken to the witch, and sat him on the sofa. Then she went to the store-room and brought out some cheese, bread and a jug of milk. After having dinner, the Prince said:

 

“You know, now I feel much better. Can you stay with me and we can have a chat? We never have enough time.”

Angelica nodded and sat down in the chair opposite the young man.

“What was Henry reaction to your story?” the Prince asked. “He was probably requiring taking the Prince’s soul back to his body?”

 

Lica nodded again.

 

“And you? What do you think of it?”

 

“I do not know,” she shook her head. “I think, probably, it would be fair. But...”

She stopped and blushed.

 

“But what?” the Prince asked, gazing at Angelica.

 

“But I wish Swein wouldn’t go to the Valley of Oblivion for-ever,” the girl said very quietly.

“You have been at my tomb and seen me,” Swein said slowly. “Tell me if you like me? Or do you like more Edward, whose body I am now in?”

Lica looked at the Prince’s face, his black eyes and remem-bered that Swein, who she had kissed in the tomb. She hesitated and did not know what to say.

“Angelica, please, tell me!”

 

“Yes! I like you, Swein,” she said finally. “But, please, do not consider me frivolous, I like the Prince Edward too.”

Swein raised his left eyebrow and grinned:

 

“It is difficult to compete with the Prince Night! In addition, it’s me in his body but he is not in mine!”

At this time they heard the sound of steps in the corridor and in a moment the witch came in the hall.

“I had to go back a little earlier,” she said. “And I see the Prince is much better! It’s because of the young beautiful girl. Well, it’s good! Do you remember that you have to bring me the Book of Destiny? Otherwise I cannot help the people of Goblins.”

 

“But why are you talking in plural?” Swein asked. “I have to bring the Book and Angelica has absolutely nothing to do with it.”

 

 “You will be weak for a quite long time, until the vampire completely dies in you. Therefore, you cannot go alone. The girl will go with you!”

 

“No! It’s too dangerous!” the Prince refused.

 

“But you will be together!” the witch smiled.

 

“Wait a minute!” Lica interrupted them. “You’d better ask me! Swein, I agree with her, we cannot let you go alone. And where is the Book of Destiny?”

 

“It is hidden in the dungeons of the Wizard who lives behind the Ghosts Fields.”

 

“Isn’t it that Wizard, who had been hiding the Princess, for the sake of who the Prince Edward had lost his soul?” Angelica asked.

 

“That’s him!” Margo nodded.

 

“Then I have the reason to go with the Prince! After all, I had already been there!”

 

The young man was staring at Lica with amazement and the witch laughed and said:

 

“I know. Edward has told me about it! Now let’s go to bed! Everyone needs to relax. And as soon as the Prince is stronger, you will go!”

In the kingdom of Princess

 

In a couple of days Swein finally recovered and they were ready to go.

 

“Just remember, without this book I can do nothing!” the witch told them.

 

The Prince and Lica said goodbye to her and Elsa, went for the Book of Destiny.

 

“Tell me, Angelica,” the young man said suddenly, “you said that you had already been in the Wizard’s catacombs. What had you been doing there?”

 

“We had been saving the Princess; Gosh, what else?”

 

“I thought that it had been Edward’s mission!” Swein chuck-led. “Well, in any case, it will be much easier for us.”

 

“In what way?”

 

“We’ll go to the rescued Princess and question her about everything; otherwise we will seek the Book of Destiny all our life.”

 

“But it is not right... Edward and Princess were engaged.” “Were they? That’s interesting! How much I have missed

 

being dead... So it’s even better! Let’s go! I know the enchanted path that will lead us right to the kingdom of the Princess.”

 

And Swein turned his horse to the Valley of Oblivion.

 

“Just follow me in the tracks. Otherwise you risk getting a completely different place!” the Prince shouted.

 

The girl did so. She saw Swein’s horse perfectly well and tailed him. After about half an hour heavy fog suddenly covered them.

“What is it?” Lica asked.

 

“The path!” the Prince answered. “Do not worry, I’ve grown up here and I have all the paths at my fingertips.”

 

“Actually, you’re not in your body now to talk about ‘your fingertips’!” - Angelica quipped.

 

The Prince burst of laughing.

 

“You are right!” he shouted going on.

 

After a couple of hours the fog was getting thawing and the riders came to a wonderful valley. It was already dusk. The first stars had appeared in the sky.

 

“It seems to be the Kingdom of the Princess!” Swein said. “I was lucky that we had not come in the day light. And here is the palace over there!”

 

The Prince pointed forward. Far ahead where the valley end-ed there was the beautiful white stone palace.

 

“So what are we waiting for?” Lica asked. “Go!”

 

And she pulled the reins. The Prince followed her. Soon the riders arrived at the gate of the palace. The guards were watching it.

 

“Immediately tell the Princess that Prince Edward and Angelica are here,” Swein said, jumping out of his horse.

 

The girl had hoped that he would help her but the Prince even did not look back. She flushed with anger but said nothing and did

 

it herself. The Prince walked quickly and Lica had nothing to do but to follow him. They were taken to a small room and in fifteen minutes the Princess came to them.

 

“Oh, God!” she said, waving her hands. “Edward, Angelica! What a meeting! I am so happy!”

 

Swein came up to the Princess, dropped to one knee and kissed her hand. Then he stood up and holding her hand, said with a languid voice:

 

“Good evening! We have not seen each other for a long time! And you are getting more beautiful!”

 

Lica was as surprised that stood frozen. If she had not known Swein, she would be able to swear that the Prince had fallen in love with the Princess; he was looking at her in such way! “Oh, Edward, you look great too!” she blushed.

 

Then the Princess pulled her hand away from Edward’s and went to Angelica.

 

“My dear,” she said, “I am so grateful to you! If not you, I’d have still been in the dungeons of the Wizard! I did not have time to thank you but now I am going to correct my mistake and I thank you with all my heart!”

 

The Princess bent into a bow in front of Lica.

 

“Your Highness, not at all,” the girl was taken aback. “You shouldn’t! I’m really embarrassed!”

 

The Princess stood up, smiled and said:

 

“Now you’re tired of the way... first