Victoria's POV.
The cart had stopped. The river pirates who had caught us seemed pensive. I looked at Cub/Isha. We still could not see beyond the cover and our ears had to be our eyes.
I could hear someone on horseback riding over and stomping. Beneath the heavy cloth draped over the iron cage, shielding me from prying eyes, I strained to make out the muffled sounds outside.
"Tell me your load and your destination," said a man's voice outside. There were clearly more than one of them; I could hear the horses stamping, their hooves echoing in the confined space.
"Who the hell asks?" shouted the coachman up front, his voice filled with defiance.
"Captain Duran of the Defiance," announced a proud young man's voice. "Nothing travels without inspection and a donation to the revolution."
For an instant, hope flickered within me. The Defiance had attended some of my father's meetings. They were fervent believers, willing to support any cause against the vampires. Perhaps they could rescue us, or at least convey a message of my well-being to my father. But then, reality crashed down upon me as I remembered my arm's fate. My heart sank; dressed as a familiar and bearing the coven mark, I knew the Defiance's stance on familiars. Mary's warnings rattled in my mind—the Defiance tended to kill familiars first and ask questions later.
Peering out from beneath the cloth, I caught Cub/Isha's eye. Even in the dim light filtering through the cage, I could see her shoulders slump with resignation.
"What are you carrying?" demanded Captain Duran.
"None of your forking business," retorted the coachman.
A tense silence followed, broken only by the ominous sound of a sword being drawn.
"Say that again," growled Captain Duran as his horse moved around.
Suddenly, chaos erupted outside. Swords clashed, and the air crackled with the intensity of battle. The metallic clang of blades echoed, mingling with the thunderous hooves of fleeing horses. My heart sank further as the realization dawned—we were now at the mercy of The Defiance.
"OK let's see what was so precious to them," said the voice of the Captain.
"My name is Princess Victoria of the Barrenlands " I shouted before they could pull the covers off. They still did.
"I can explain the dress," I said as the covers were pulled off.
We were surrounded by a small pack of men and women many wearing the green of the Defiance. The one identifying himself as Captain Duran caught my attention. He had a beard and long-ish black hair. He kind of looked like Che Guevara, young, revolutionary, something heroic about him. Everyone, seeing what we were like, pulled their weapons up.
He stood tall and commanding, with a rugged yet charismatic aura that seemed to draw everyone's gaze. His beard was neatly trimmed, framing a strong jawline, and his long, dark hair flowed loosely around his shoulders. His piercing eyes held a mix of determination and compassion, giving him an air of authority tempered with empathy. Despite the tense situation, there was an undeniable magnetism about him,
"Coven witches," he said looking at us.
"Yeah I know what we look like. Honestly, I can explain. " I began smiling "Look iron cage. Name me someone who travels in an iron cage."
This had the effect of confusing Captain Duran. He looked up to the sky.
"Hmm. It's getting on. Get them back to base." he said, "We can torture them for information and execute them there."
YOU ARE READING
The Vampire's Crimson Kiss (Editing)
VampireVictoria is given by her father, the King of the Barren Lands, to the Vampire Duke Sadisman as a hostage. She is a gift from her people as a peace offering. As part of the bargain, Duke has promised, "She will not be sired, she will not be fed upo...
