Vampire Queen

Chapter twenty nine

Cassius and I headed north. It was to be a grand tour around the entire kingdom. He wanted to show Toska their king and queen. So that no one ever doubts his existence again.

He is the king and no one will take it from him.

Not without a fight, heads cut off and blood.

Cassius and I traveled separately. While I was sitting in the carriage he was on horseback among his soldiers.

I looked out at the changing landscape. I looked at the crowd of soldiers. The sun's rays wound across the country. Birds flew high in the turquoise skies. I was bored. The journey was long. And my only company was silence.

My mind was spinning plans and intrigues that even I didn't like anymore.

"Stop the carriage!" I ordered.

The carriage immediately stopped. The entire procession stopped with it. I got out. Cassius came to me.

"What's going on?" he asked. "Is everything alright?"

"I want to ride a horse," I said.

Cassius did not object. Surprisingly, he gave me his hand to get on the horse with him. I refused.

"I can drive myself."

"We don't have an extra horse, so you'll have to settle for coming with me," he said. "Or you can go back to the carriage."

I accepted his hand and got on the horse behind him. I grabbed him around the waist. It was just a fleeting touch. I didn't want to put too much pressure on him.

"You don't have to keep that distance from me," Cassius said. "I won't think anything if you hold me tight."

"You're always thinking something," I said.

I moved closer to him and held him tightly. I rested my head on his back. Cassius gave a sharp pull on the bridle and his horse reared. I held him even tighter.

"What the hell are you doing?" I said.

"I'm testing how tight you hold," he said.

I could hear in his voice that he was smiling.

"Pretty tight," I said.

"You are special, Dragomira. Either you keep your distance from me or you press closer to me as if you don't hate me," said Cassius. "You don't know anything in between."

"If I could live on the edge of what I feel, then I would be ordinary like anyone else," I said. "You wouldn't like it either."

"Do you think I like you?" Cassius asked me a question.

"I'm sure of it," I replied.

"You must be thinking too much as well, Dragomira," he said. "I expect nothing more and nothing less from you."

⸸

We arrived in the city of Kalon, the third stop on our way.

I remember Kalon. Father once owned a mansion there, before it was burned down during the invasion of troops. Kalon was a beautiful city set on a mountain. Full of music, joy and laughter. People danced in the streets. Every day was something to celebrate. The most beautiful stars were found in the sky there. Millions of glittering dots decorated the ebony heavens. Even during the hot summer, there was a pleasant breeze. In the spring, the meadows were colored in colors of rainbow, and in the fall, the forest took on colors as if it were on fire.

Cassius traveled with me in the carriage this time. We sat across from each other. We were silent. I closed my eyes and plunged into my dreams. Pitching the carriage over the bumpy road made me sleepy. My head fell and the crown fell from it.