NIGHT, I Rin [classic book list txt] 📗

the whole world to be plunged into eternal night and he would have become absolute ruler of the night. You know, Lica, I have known Edward since his childhood and I can state with full responsibility that after his visit to the witch he has become a totally different man. But the strangest thing is that he does not remember many things. For example, when I reminded him about the annual ball for Admirers of Night he was very surprised and then he just charged me to do it. However, he used to invite guests to his ball personally! Then I reminded him about you. And he said without batting an eye that he did not understand who you were. With the help of a magic mirror I had to show Edward last year's ball, where you were dancing with him in the center of the room. Seeing him with you the Prince smiled wryly and said: ‘Well, Henry, if you want you can invite this girl! Withal, she's pretty sweet.’”

“What?!” Angelica exclaimed. “Pretty sweet?! He told me that I was beautiful!”

She jumped out of the bed and began to pace nervously from one corner of her room to another.

“Lica? Are you still awake?” she heard her mother’s voice behind the door.

“I am sleeping! It’s just a bad dream!” she replied.

“It is very suspicious how the Prince has changed,” Henry continued, “that's why I came here to take you with me to the ball for Admirers of Night. And there together we shall understand everything somehow!”

“Let’s fly!” Angelica agreed.

“But are you going like this?”

The girl looked at herself in the mirror and saw her standing in pyjamas.

“Yeah...” she drawled. “I am not ready for the ball. But I still have that white ball dress, which Edward had given me as a present!”

“You know, the Prince doesn’t like bright colors any more. Now he prefers black, dark brown, dark blue and burgundy. So let’s fly in pyjamas and in the castle I'll find something for you.”

The ball

Henry got quickly two feathers. One he stuck to Angelica’s hair and another to his. Soon the two birds flew out of the window of Lica’s bedroom towards the Kingdom of Night. The girl remembered that wonderful feeling very well. The feeling of flying! The first time she had been confused so she hadn’t really looked around but now she was enjoying herself in the night scenery of the sparkling moon. She was flying over dark woods and forests, glistening lakes and rivers, cities and villages. Everything looked too mysterious and inscrutable.

Reaching the castle the birds as before flew in to the window of the tall tower and along corridors got to the small hall. Here Henry hit the ground and became a man again. Then he pulled out a magic feather from the owl Lica and she immediately turned to the girl.

“Wait, I'm not for long!” the old servant said and quietly left the room.

A few minutes later he returned with a luxury black dress and black shoes.

“Get dressed! We are short of time!” Henry said and gave it to Lica.

“But it is very black!” she tried to protest. “I’d rather put on something burgundy.”

“I am telling you, get dressed!”

The old man went out leaving Angelica being at a loss. But just a few seconds passed as she pulled herself together and quickly put the dress on. The dress was gorgeous! Lica put on the black shoes and pleased with herself said:

“At least this time Henry had made no mistake with the size.”

She looked in the mirror and did not recognize herself... She saw a very beautiful young girl in the mirror but it was something unfamiliar in her to Angelica.

"It's just the color; it doesn’t suit me!" she decided to herself.

She left the room. Behind the door she saw the Prince’s servant who was impatiently waiting and shifting from one foot to the other. Seeing Lica he, satisfied, nodded his head.

“You look just as if my Lord prefers now,” he said contentedly. “Come on! You must invite him to dance. Now he is unlikely to do it himself. But keep alert! You should talk less about yourself and try to find out about him as much as possible.”

Henry gave his hand to Angelica and led her to the huge hall where the ball had already begun.

Lica looked around the room from the stairs. As last year there were a lot of people. Men and women in the Viennese masks were all around the girl again. Some of them were waltzing; others were standing at the walls, talking and laughing merrily. Angelica was trying to find Edward among them. Suddenly she thought she had seen him. The girl moved through the crowd of people but someone grabbed her hand and whirled in the dance. He was a tall and skinny man in a mask. Lica tried to escape but couldn’t; the man was just laughing. Then he handed Angelica to another man in a mask who made her dance again. Lica could not get rid of these unexpected admirers. She began to feel dizzy of the endless dance as then she saw Edward. He was standing at the wall and watching with interest what was happening with her. He was wearing a dark blue suit holding a Viennese mask in his hand. When they made their eyes meet he laughed cheerfully. Angelica pushed her next fellow and moved to Prince. Suddenly the Prince Night put the mask on his face and got lost in the crowd.

“What’s happening?” the girl surprised. “Edward would never hide from me or even more laugh at me!”

She continued walking and looking for the disappeared Prince and soon she saw him. He was standing and flirting with two girls in bright dresses and Viennese masks. Lica went toward him. At this point one of the girls opened a big fan. And when she closed it, Edward disappeared again.

The Ball was on and Angelica was trying and trying to find the Prince. Again she climbed the stairs and suddenly saw the Prince Night waltzing in the hall with one and then the other partner girl.

"Now or never!" Lica decided.

She quickly came down and mingled with the crowd of dancing people. Dancing she passed from one partner to another and finally came face to face with Edward. Prince had nothing to do but start dancing with her.

“You can dance very well!” he grinned.

“And you too!” Angelica retorted.

It was so strange to dance with the man who had declared his love very recently and now pretended to be an unfamiliar to her. The girl took a close look at the young man. Yes, something had changed but what? Lica could not understand it.

“And you're so...” the Prince began to speak.

“Yes, I know I'm so sweet!” Angelica interrupted.

The Prince Night looked at her and then said:

“And I think we have known each other! You're Angelica, aren’t you?”

“Yes, I am!” she nodded.

She wanted to tell him everything but she remembered that Henry had asked her to talk less about their feelings and find out more about the Prince. Therefore Lica took courage and said:

“I thought last year we had made friends.”

“Maybe... I do not remember!” the Prince said. “You know I was very busy.”

“And also you had declared your love to me,” Angelica said quietly.

“Had I?” Edward raised his eyebrows. “Really?”

“And...”

The girl had not finished when the music stopped and the Prince Night bowed gallantly. Then he turned around and went to the entrance. Only now did Lica realize that if the Prince went away, she wouldn’t be able to talk to him anymore. So she ran after him through the crowd of the guests who seemed to deliberately stop her and block the way. And only in the corridor Angelica had caught up with the young man then turned him around and kissed on his lips.

Meeting Elsa

Lica came to herself when the guests had begun to laugh at her. She pushed Edward and ran away to the room, where she had arrived with Henry today.

Running into the room she slammed the door and burst into tears. All her hopes were dashed. Not only didn’t the Prince love her but he even did not remember her!

A few minutes later she heard the footsteps in the corridor. Angelica hid behind a high throne, which was standing in the room. And soon Henry came into.

“Lica!” he called her quietly. “Lica, are you here?”

Blubbered girl came out of the throne.

“The Prince did not recognize you, did he?” the man said.

Angelica nodded and began to cry again.

“And did not you see that he had changed?” Edward’s servant asked.

“Absolutely everything had; if you start with his appearance and finish with his behavior.”

“So, I was right. Something had happened to him on that journey... when he had gone to take a potion for the Princess. We need to know but what...”

“And how will we know?”

“You just must go to that witch, who gave him a potion, and ask her about everything. I would have gone myself if I had been able to, but the Prince does not let me go a step. I have a feeling that he even does not know anything about our castle but he is just trying not to show it anybody. So he needs me to be close all the time as a consultant.”

“I will go!” Angelica said firmly.

“I would have offered you to do it before if I had known your reaction.”

“No more words. Can you tell me where this witch lives and how I can get there?”

“She lives on the edge of our kingdom. You need to leave the castle and go to the opposite direction of the Nightmare Forest. Behind the Dark Canyons you will see the big City of Goblins. Passing it, you will be at the foot of the high mountains. There in one of the caves this witch lives.”

“My clothes for travel are still here?”

“Yes! They are in that trunk!” Henry said.

“Give me a couple of minutes!”

“See you in corridor!” the old man nodded.

Lica changed clothes quickly and they both unnoticed sneaked to the royal stables.

“While you were dancing, I was able to prepare a horse for you.”

Henry helped her to climb the horse. This time she managed to do it much easier than before.

“Do not stay in the Dark Canyons for a long time and be careful with the Goblins! They will not harm you a lot but they may play a prank. It's in their blood. All right, go! And good luck!” Edward’s servant counseled her.

Angelica hugged the old man and yanked the reins.

“If she always hugs me, I'll get used to it,” Henry said to himself.

The girl left the royal courtyard and went into the opposite direction of the Nightmare Forest. The Moon was high in the sky and brightly lit all around. Lica was riding at full speed. A few hours later her horse suddenly began to stumble. The girl looked around and noticed that the road was not as flat as before. Here and there she came across small ravines and ruts. And soon they turned into the canyons.

“Well I have reached the Dark Canyons,” Angelica made glad. “They are not so far from the castle.”

She went on choosing the road carefully. After a while Lica noticed that her eyes began to stick together and she feels dizzy.

“That’s it!” the girl said in the hearts. “It looks as if it was at Sleepy Lake! I hope Henry had put some salt for me.”

She got down the horse to check the food basket. To her delight Lica had found the desired bag. As before on the lake she made a cut on her hand and sprinkled it with salt. Then she thought for a while and made a cut on the horse's back. The animal was kicking but the girl managed to sprinkle the cut with the salt.

Their doze had immediately disappeared. And Lica continued going without any drowsiness. Very soon she saw the