NIGHT, I Rin [classic book list txt] 📗

bed. The Prince went back in some time. He tied the horses near the cave and said:

“Go to sleep, Angelica, I will watch you!”

She agreed fixing herself in the bed from the dry grass. Its odor calmed her and Angelica fell asleep.

In the morning, Lica woke up because Huron was shaking her shoulder.

“Angelica, get up!” he said. “We need to have breakfast and hit the road.”

“Okay,” nodded the girl.

Our heroes had some food, which Leila had given them. Then, Prince prepared horses and they set off.

“I am wondering,” said Lica, “the moon in the desert was completely different but here it is so big and round!”

“We're in the Kingdom of Night!” Edward said.

Again the travelers ware going down the hill. Although sometimes they had to go on foot, they moved very quickly.

“I recognize this place!” Angelica exclaimed suddenly. “Margo’s cave is over there!”

“Where?” Huron asked impatiently.

“Here it is!” pointed Lica.

At this moment, the witch ran out of the cave crying:

“Huron?!”

She ran towards them.

“Margaret, my dear!” whispered the sorcerer, and jumping out of the saddle, hurried to his sister.

They embraced each other.

“Angelica, Edward!” Margo exclaimed. “Why are you freezing like statues?! Come inside! Today we will have a party!”

Elsa came out of the cave. She hugged Angelica with tears.

“What a long time I haven’t seen you!” muttered the goblin woman.

The Prince Night dismounted holding the horses by the bridle and smiling. Elsa assured the Prince that she would take care of the horses, and Lica with Prince entered the cave.

“May I first go to the bathroom?” asked Angelica. “I awfully want to have a bath!”

“Of course!” Margo waved. “Clean clothes and a towel are there.”

The girl ran down the corridor. She knew that the room of Swein was there. Lica immediately went in but no one was there.

“May be Swein is away on business,” decided Angelica. “In any case, you need to have a bath first.”

And she went to the bathroom. Having filled the bath with warm water, she got with pleasure inside. Finished, she changed the dress and went out into the hall. She was so charming, that Prince Edward said with admiration:

“You look larruping!”

“Thank you!” Angelica embarrassed. “The bathroom is free, Prince!”

Edward nodded and went to wash. Margo could not stop talking to her brother. Lica sat on the sofa for a while she was waiting for Swein but he did not appear. Then she went to the small hall where Elsa was busy with dinner and asked her:

“Elsa, how's the King of Goblins?”

“Well!” Elsa smiled. “He's fine! After your departure, he was ill for some time. Then his father came and took him to the palace. His father was furious about his hell-bent adventure. He decided that it is time Swein married; he thought that after marriage he would calm down and stop being immature. To do that the King's father decided to hold the ball in order to find a bride for Swein.”

Angelica’s heart stopped beating.

“And?” she asked quietly. “Has he found the bride?”

“Not yet,” the goblin woman shook her head. “The ball is tomorrow! Today they are welcoming guests in their palace. Swein’s father is sure that his son needs a woman, not goblin girl, that is why he has invited princesses of all over the neighboring states.”

“Thank God!” whispered Lica.

“What?” asked her Elsa.

“Nothing!” the girl shook her head. “Let me help you to lay the table!”

The Goblin woman and Angelica quickly laid the festive table, and soon Edward, Margo and Angelica were sitting together in anticipation of the feast. After some time, Huron joined them too after having bath.

“Well, my dear!” Margo said, raising a glass of wine... “I am extremely happy that you were able to find and took my brother here. Now, together, we can win the evil from the abyss. Success is to our efforts!”

The witch drank wine and laughed happily.

“Tell me, Margo, where our friend Swein has gone?” asked Edward.

“Oh, that's a long story!” Margo smiled. “His father arrived after you had left and almost forcibly took the boy to the palace. He was very angry with Swein and grimly determined to marry him. For one month the goblins have been preparing for the grand ball, Swein has to choose a bride there. By the way, the ball is tomorrow, and I think the Goblins’ King will be glad if you, Edward, and you, Angelica, visit him in the palace.

“Down from a mall, straight to the ball,” said Lica under her breath.

“It would be nice!” the Prince smiled. “Angelica, have not you noticed that wherever we turn up, there is a wedding party? Maybe this is a sign.”

The girl pretended not to understand Edwards’s hint.

“Whose wedding party?” the witch was interested.

“Well!” exclaimed Prince Night. “Huron’s daughter got married to a friend of Angelica.”

“Do you have children?” Margo looked at her brother with surprise.

“She is my adopted daughter and pupil,” Huron corrected the Prince.

“More and more surprises, my brother!” the witch smiled.

Then she turned to Angelica and Edward:

“Well, so what? Are you going to the ball? The king is your friend, isn’t he?”

Prince Night looked at Lica. The girl thought for a moment and nodded.

“Of course!” she said. “I want to congratulate Swein and his future wife personally!”

“Well, perfect,” said Margo. “And Huron and I will have time to discuss the situation in our kingdom and look through some magic books.”

“Excuse me!” said Angelica “Can I go to bed a little earlier today? I would like to have rest I am exhausted.”

“Of course!” the witch nodded. “But you usually sleep here, and now the room is busy. You know what, I'll ask Elsa to prepare Swein’s room for you. It is free now. Don’t you mind?”

The girl agreed.

“Well, good night!” Margo smiled.

Angelica wished good dreams to Huron and the Prince, and went to the room of the Goblins’ King.

Run-up for the Ball

After a few minutes, Elsa came to the girl’s room. She made her a bed, fired up the hearth and, wishing Lica good night, left the room.

The girl was lying up and thinking. She remembered the pale face of wounded Swein, his long blond hair, and a feeling of melancholy invaded her...

“What’s the story?” Angelica was boiled. “You leave the young man for a second, as he is immediately married to another girl!”

The girl was badly hurt.

“I think it’s wrong!” she said aloud aggrievedly. “It's disgusting! I... I’ll show you what is what!”

“Are you talking to yourself?” suddenly she heard Margo’s voice. “I was in the storeroom and heard you mumbling something!”

“Margo!” Lica exclaimed. “Margo, how could you do that?!”

“What do you mean?” the witch did not understand her.

“Swein, of course!”

“Oh...” Margo smiled. “You know, I think you would also rage if Prince Edward or Prince or Vampires married. It’s offensive, isn’t it? Your pride has been injured?! Do you remember I told you to make your choice?! There are so many other young and beautiful girls!”

Angelica sat down on the bed and murmured:

“But what if I cannot choose one? They are all very dear to me.”

“Then they will go away, one by one, and you will stay alone!”

Lica angrily slammed her fist on the bed.

“I do not want this to happen,” she said through clenched teeth.

The witch smiled and sat in the chair by the fireplace.

“I know,” she said quietly. “It is nice to be the best of the bests in the hearts of so many worthy men, but you cannot always keep them by your side. Sooner or later they will get tired of the eternal expectation. Listen to me – you should make your choice as soon as possible among those who are still with you, and what about Swein - let him go. You are like fire and water, you don’t suit one another.”

“Thanks for your advice!” Angelica said grimly. “I'll think about it!”

“Well, sweet dreams!”

With these words, Margo rose and left the room. Lica fell back on the pillows staring at the ceiling. The candle flame was flickering and strange shadows were dancing on the walls. The girl was looking at them and did not notice that she fell asleep.

Angelica woke up late. It was lunchtime. The girl went out of her room and saw Elsa laying on the table.

“Did you sleep well?” smiled the goblin woman.

“Yes. I was really tired after the journey,” honestly said Lica. “Where is everybody?”

“Prince Edward was with the horses in the morning, while madam and her brother were reading the magic books. Then he joined them, and they began to discuss something in the madam’s room. Then Margo told me to lay the table.”

At that moment, Huron Margo and Edward came in the hall.

“Good morning!” the witch smiled, turning to Angelica.

“You look great!” added Prince Night.

Huron nodded to the girl and sat down at the table first.

“Thank you, Elsa!” Margo said. “You are free for now!”

The Goblin woman went out of the room, and our heroes started dining.

“Did you have a good rest?” the witch asked Lica solicitously.

“Yes, I did,” nodded the girl.

“Excellent, because you and Edward are going to stay up all night at the Goblin King’s ball. By the way, I also should be there, but my plans have changed. I must stay in the cave and help Huron to find the right spells in the magic books to fight with the evil spirits.”

“Yes, I won’t be able to cope with all these books alone,” said Huron. “Edward insists on the battle as soon as possible.”

Prince Night nodded and said:

“I think that immediately after the ball, I will talk with Swein and then go to my castle, to start preparations for the battle. You will have to inform the Prince of Vampires about the beginning of war.”

“We will discuss it later,” interrupted him Margo. “So, Angelica, I beg you to apologize to Swein’s father for me and tell him that I cannot be at the ball because my brother, who I have not seen for many years, came to visit me.”

“Okay,” said Lica.

“Now about the clothes...” said the witch. “In my wardrobe, you and Prince can choose any dress or costume that you like. Of course, the choice is not very big, but it is better than yours is.”

“Thank you!” said Lica.

“Angelica,” Prince turned to the girl, “can you choose a suit for me, something to your taste, while I, Huron and Margo will continue to discuss the plan of fighting with the evil.”

“But what if you do not like it?”

“I trust you!” Edward smiled.

Having finished dinner, Prince, witch and her brother went out of the room; Angelica called Elsa and helped her to clear the table. Then the girl asked her:

“Elsa, Margo told me to choose ball costumes for Edward and me in her wardrobe.”

“Well, let's go! You have little time; Madam has a lot of clothes!”

The maid took the candle and led Lica along the corridor to the fork, which was behind the bathroom, and the girl had never noticed it before. There the goblin woman turned left. Lica saw another corridor with rooms. Elsa came in the first one. It was quite spacious room with lots of wardrobes. The Goblin woman passed the walls with torches. She set them on fire, and in a moment, the room was brightly lit. Angelica looked with horror at the huge wardrobes and said:

“Elsa, I won’t be able to see all of them even for one week. Please help me!”

“I’ll help you,” the maid nodded.

She began to walk and open the wardrobes doors choosing something for Lica.

“Wait, wait,” the girl interrupted her. “First of all let’s choose something for Edward and then for me.”

Elsa came to the wardrobe in the far corner and opened it.

“I think this ivory, velvet costume will suit the prince’s black hair perfectly!” the goblin woman said.

Angelica agreed with Elsa.

“Now for you!” she said.

She began to offer her dresses of various colors and styles.

“Has Margo got a dark blue dress?” asked Lica.

“Yes, she has,” nodded the goblin woman, “but do you really think I'd let you go to the ball, where our King will