NIGHT, I Rin [classic book list txt] 📗

expected. So she tore off her shirt sleeves and made the Prince a pressure bandage.

“How do you feel?” she asked having finished.

“It’s bearable,” the Prince said with a grimace. “However now I won’t able to sleep on the Sleepy Lake.”

“And what about the horses?” the girl said. “They can’t be on the boat!”

“We have to leave them here,” the Prince shrugged his shoulders.

“But there will be the Nightmare Forest ahead! I would not want to go there on foot.”

“We’ll move short dashes.”

“You are always so sarcastic!”

“And you are always so sensitive!”

Lica did not know why but she started to sympathize this man. Yes, he was sarcastic and mocking but Angelica noticed how brave he was and never gave in to threats.

The girl and the Prince went down to the boat. Lica picked up the food basket, which Henry had given her. They got into the boat and pushed off from the bank. When our heroes were quite far from the Ghosts’ Fields they heard a loud howl.

“We are lucky!” the Prince said. “But our horses are not!”

In this bustle Angelica had forgotten to cut her hand and sprinkle with salt. A few minutes later her eyes closed and she drifted off to sleep.

Come back to the palace

Suddenly Lica woke up as if something had pushed her. She opened her eyes and saw that she had been sleeping on the Prince’s shoulder under the tall tree. The Prince was sitting, leaning the tree and chewing a straw.

“Good morning!” he said seeing Angelica had woken up.

“Are you kidding me? What a morning?” she smiled looking at the bright moon. “How long have I been sleeping?”

“Since we were going across the Sleepy Lake. You have fallen asleep in the boat.”

“But how have you taken me from the lake to the tree? You are injured!”

“Honestly say, it was very difficult,” the Prince joked. “But, having taken my will in a fist, I have done it. I just couldn’t leave you in the boat, like "Sleeping Beauty."”

“Thank you!” Lica said gratefully. “And what about the food basket; haven’t you saved it?”

“It is on your right.”

“Then let's have some food and go to the Nightmare Forest. I mean the basket just will hinder to move around.”

“You may eat; I am not hungry.”

The girl had some bread and milk and leaving the basket under the tree, our heroes set off toward the forest.

Only in the woods did Angelica realize the benefits of the man-goblin compared with the common man. The Prince could see in the dark like a cat and had a unique ear to hear. While Lica just listened and looked, the Prince had already said:

“Oh the “guests” are near here; we have to change the direction.”

He immediately turned another way and pulled the girl with him. So, they had passed the Nightmare Forest, having not met with any of the nightmares. The girl even said:

“How boring we have passed the Nightmare Forest. No adventure!”

“Oh do you need the nightmares?” the Prince laughed. “You have insulted me. Am I not enough for you?”

After the forest they came in the wide field. And suddenly Angelica saw that the Prince was staggering.

“Let me check your bandage,” she demanded.

The Prince tried to joke it off but Lica insisted. Finally, the Prince opened his cloak and the girl gasped! The bandage was soaked with blood. Moreover, the blood has been flowed around his shirt.

“You cannot go any more! You are losing a lot of blood!” Angelica said firmly. “Lie down on the grass and I'll find a horse.”

“Where will you find a horse here? Only the field is around us!”

“It’s not your business!” Lica said strictly.

She put the Prince on the grass tucked the cloak under his head. Then she gave him a new bandage, finally had torn her shirt off and then ran across the field toward the road.

She was lucky and soon she saw a cart ahead.

“Hey!” Angelica shouted, waving her arms. “Here!”

A few minutes later some farmers, who were carrying the flour to the Prince’s castle, arrived.

“That’s a luck!” the girl was happy.

She immediately showed them the place where the wounded Prince was lying. The Farmers carefully put him on the cart and moved on. Several hours later the carts reached the castle but by this time the Prince had already been unconscious.

Worried Henry met our travelers in the wide royal court. The Prince was immediately taken into the castle and the best doctors were called for him. Sick and tired Lica was waiting for news sitting in the chair in a small room, which was next door to the Prince’s. The girl did not notice as she had fallen asleep. She woke up because someone had entered the room. It was Henry.

“The Prince has lost a lot of blood and unconscious,” he said. “But doctors have assured that his life is not in danger. You have managed to bring him in time. Lica, has the witch told you anything about the Prince?”

Angelica nodded but thought for a while said:

“Not until the end. I would like to visit this witch once again!”

“Not now! You're exhausted. The Prince is unconscious.”

“You're right, Henry! Can I get some sleep?”

“Of course,” the old servant smiled and left the room.

Angelica fell asleep again...

 

“Lica, good morning!” the girl heard her mother’s voice. “What’s the masquerade again?”

Her mother was standing stared in amazement at Angelica. The girl stretched, got up and looked at herself in the mirror. She looked terrible! She was smeared with mud and blood, her hair was wild and she was wearing a torn shirt without sleeves and tattered leather trousers – Lica was appalling.

“Mom,” she smiled. “I am just getting ready for Halloween!”

“But Halloween is in the autumn! And now, it's spring!”

“Well, I'm before hand,” Lica grinned like the Prince Swein.

“Come on, wash your face!” her mother sighed.

Angelica went into the bathroom and different thoughts flashed through her mind:

“How's the Prince? What will I do? To tell or not to tell Henry the truth?”

“So, stop!” she interrupted herself aloud. “I don’t know if I ever get back to the Kingdom of Night!”

After a pause, she added:

“However I would like to...”

Part 3

The invasion

“Mom, I'm going to the gym!” Lica shouted out.

She took her sport bag and ran out of the house...

After her last return from the Kingdom of Night, first, every night Angelica waited for any news about the Prince from Henry. But time was passing and nothing happened. So the girl day by day came to the normal life.

She finished the school, has entered the University of Languages at the Faculty of Translation and joined two sport sections: Aikido and Fencing.

“Aikido is OK,” her mother sighed. “There are lots of hooligans in the streets. But why is Fencing? Are you going to wave with a stick under the offender’s nose?”

“Anything can be useful in life!” Lica said smiling.

She remembered clearly how stupid she had looked, swinging her sword in front of the vampires. But six months have passed since that time.

Coming back from the training, she found a note on the kitchen table from her mother:

 

We are at the Petrovs, in the country. We are going to stay for a night. So do not wait for us!

Have dinner and go to bed!

Your Mom

 

Next to the note on the table she saw the plate with some cutlets and fries. She ate leisurely and went to her room. Coming to the window, she looked out. The weather was stormy. The wind was whirling last autumn leaves and occasional but large drops of rain began drumming on the glass.

“Well... The sky is overcast, so it’s nothing to look at,” Lica thought. “I’d rather watch TV!”

But only could she make a couple of steps the light blinked and went out. The wire must have shorted out somewhere.

Angelica went by feel to the kitchen and pulled three thick souvenir candles out of the cupboard. Then she returned to her room, lit the candles and put them on the table. It was very nice.

“Hmm...” Lica said aloud. “I think the evening will be boring! I must do something about it!”

She walked here and there across the room and then went to the wardrobe, as if she had remembered something, and opened it. There on the hangers was that white ball dress in which she had danced at her first ball in the Kingdom of Night. Angelica took it out and carefully removed from the hanger.

“I have to try it on!” the girl decided. “Because I haven’t put it on once after the ball!”

She put on her dress and lovely white high-heeled shoes and let her hair.

“Well, now I look just as when I was dancing with Edward for the first time,” Lica thought, looking in the mirror.

Remembered the ball, she was dancing around the room, humming a tune. The candles flame was swaying and strange shadows were dancing on the walls and ceiling. Angelica stopped in front of the mirror and laughed merrily at herself.

At this moment the reflection in the mirror suddenly trembled and ran. The girl shook her head and blinked frequency. The reflection became clear again but behind the “mirror” Lica there was not her room but a luxurious hall. There were two armchairs, carved table and a fireplace with merrily burning flame by the wall.

“That’s what I call over dancing,” Angelica thought.

At this moment her own reflection in the mirror suddenly dimmed and she saw the face of the Prince Night there.

“Well they are hallucinations!” Lica said loudly. “When I touch the mirror, it all will disappear!”

She held out her hand and the Prince did the same. The girl was absolutely sure that she would touch the cold mirror by her fingers. But suddenly she felt the warm touch of the Prince’s hand. Angelica screamed and jumped back. The Prince Night grinned, took a step forward and stood on the table. A second later he jumped into Lica’s room.

“What a cramped room!” the Prince remarked sarcastically, looking around. “But the atmosphere is very romantic. The bed, the candles and the lovely girl! Are you waiting for someone, Angelica?”

“You! You…” Lica flushed.

She could not find the right words. Finally, she pulled herself together and said:

“You have broken into here, as if it would be your home!”

“Well, let's say I have not broken,” the Prince answered. “I just have quietly jumped into your room. What are you so afraid of, my fearless Angelica? We are friends, aren’t we?”

“What do you think? I haven’t heard from you for ages!” Then out of the blue you have jumped from the mirror and asked me what I was scared of?

“Oh, that's why! And I thought that I had disturbed you. You look as if you are going to the ball. So I decided that you had been waiting for someone.”

“For you!” Lica quipped.

“Well, here I am! I am entirely at your disposal.”

The Prince slowly moved to the girl and put his hands over her shoulders and pulled her close. He bended forward and stared into her eyes. Angelica could feel his breath near her face. She closed her eyes and froze ready for a kiss. However, the Prince bended even down and whispered in her ear:

“Only first of all, I’d like to discuss something more important...”

The Prince’s gift

The young man turned around, went to the desk and sat down on the chair. Angelica started and opened her eyes. She felt terribly embarrassed.

“Well, now the Prince thinks I'm awfully frivolous and thoughtless,” flashed through her ​​mind.

And she said aloud:

“All right! Let's discuss. I'm over to you.”

“Do you remember the day when we were rescuing from the vampires? Anyway, one of them had wounded me. And, apparently, some of the vampires’ blood had got into my wound and infected me. As soon as I came to the castle of the Prince Night, I began to notice some strange habits, which I hadn’t had before. I had liked under fried meat with blood. When the moon is full I have a desire to