Morning sunlight spilled through the thin curtains in soft streams of gold, warming the quiet inn chamber.
I was still half-asleep, buried beneath the blankets, when suddenly the curtains were thrown open. Light flooded the room. The morning sunlight didn't hurt, thankfully. Yet the thirst lingering at the back of my throat reminded me that I was no longer entirely human. We had been staying at the inn for the past few days.
I groaned softly and opened my eyes, blinking against the brightness, only to find Princess Sera already awake. And fully prepared.
Her silver hair cascaded elegantly down her back as she stood before the mirror, carefully choosing between several dresses laid across the bed. Her makeup was already done flawlessly, elegant, as though she had stepped out of a royal portrait rather than woken up only moments ago.
"Morning," I muttered lazily while sitting up, rubbing the sleep from my eyes.
Sera glanced at me through the mirror, concern showed in her chocolate-brown eyes.. "Morning, dear. Today the royal carriage from my kingdom will come to receive us, you should get ready."
With a nod, I climbed out of bed and headed toward the privy. The cool water helped clear my mind as I washed away the remnants of sleep. After bathing and brushing my teeth, I changed into a black dress. It wrapped around my figure elegantly, the dark fabric making my pale skin appear almost luminous.
When I returned to the room, Sera had finally chosen her outfit.
A flowing golden-red dress. It was embroidered with delicate patterns along the sleeves and hem.
"Looking gorgeous," I admitted.
She turned toward me with a small soft smile. "Same to you, dear."
"Mhm."
I sat before the vanity and began applying my makeup carefully. I wore fox-shaped eyeliner paired with dark eyeshadow and scarlet-tinted lips. Beside me, a dark red tint brushed against Sera's lips while soft crimson eyeshadow shaded her eyelids. Finally, she drew a sharp black wing across her eyes. Together, we looked less like princesses preparing for a formal journey and more like trouble waiting to happen.
Not long after, the royal carriage arrived outside the inn.
Before leaving, I saw Sera quietly place a strange ring bearing a snake symbol into the small bag she always carried for emergencies. My eyes became teary again as I remembered mother and father, when me and Lorenzo, used to mess around with them.
Once everything was ready, Sera and I descended the stairs together. The inn had grown noisier downstairs, filled with travelers beginning their mornings, yet the moment I stepped into the lobby, the world seemed to still.
Because standing near the entrance were two men.
My brother, Prince Lorenzo.
And Prince Cassian.
For a fleeting moment, both Sera and I completely forgot how to breathe.
Lorenzo looked terrifyingly handsome in dark royal attire embroidered with silver patterns, his sharp features carrying the effortless confidence of someone born to command. Beside him stood Cassian, equally dangerous in appearance, his eyes carrying that familiar smirk that usually meant trouble.
I quickly forced myself back to reality and cleared my throat softly.
Beside me, Sera straightened almost immediately as well.
"Greetings, Your Highness," we both said simultaneously.
"Greetings to you as well, Your Highnesses," Lorenzo and Cassian replied together.
Cassian's lips curved upward slightly as his gaze settled on me.
A soft, worried smile, barely noticeable.
I instantly looked away, though not before a faint blush colored my cheeks.
Soon afterward, all four of us were seated inside the royal carriage as the journey finally began.
The wheels rolled steadily across the road while the morning sky stretched endlessly above us, painted in pale shades of gold and blue. Forests passed by beyond the windows, their shadows swaying gently beneath the sunlight.
Everything appeared peaceful.
Too peaceful.
Because beneath the quiet rhythm of the carriage, I felt it again.
That strange sensation.
Something watching.
Something moving in the distance.
My fingers tightened slightly around my dress as unease crept beneath my skin like cold venom.
The feeling was faint… but unmistakable.
Whatever it was....or perhaps it was the masked man...
....It was following us.