Queen of Ashes │ Season 1 │The Journey

6 │Questions

"We should reach a small tavern soon. There, we will rest until sunset," he said without a glance.

"Why can't we travel during the day? Will you go up in flames or something?" She was curious about that from the moment she got to know that all their travel would take place under the stars. Maybe the question wasn't very sensitive, but she had to get to know more before they reached their final destination. She couldn't be as uninformed as she was at that very moment.

Prince Leander chuckled, while Qadir rolled his eyes and focused on the road moving slightly forward. He probably decided that Freya's question didn't deserve his attention and answer.

"No. ...We don't go up in flames," The Prince replied with an undeniable amusement. "But it's highly uncomfortable for us if you must know."

"How so?" Freya matched Frida's gait with the Prince's horse so not a word would escape her from this conversation. Qadir rode ahead, apparently taking over as navigator.

"I guess you could compare it to people walking during the night, only in our case it's a little worse," he looked at her fleetingly, then returned to his previous position with his attention directed forward. "Bright days are difficult because we see the worst. The image is blurred and eyes water. The skin exposed to the sunrays begins to itch unpleasantly. On cloudy days it is more tolerable, but still, night activity is far more enjoyable."

"You have night vision then?"

"They don't call us creatures of the night for no reason." He smirked.

"Right..." Her head was full of potential questions. She couldn't decide which one to ask next. "What other special abilities except that speed of yours do you have?"

The Prince's laughter was some sweet melody for her ears, especially after hours so scrimpy with any of his expressions. Somehow, his serious face was gone and was replaced with a more soft expression. Was her curiosity making him this way? Was she making a fool of herself for him to be this amused?

"You really don't know much, do you Princess?"

She blushed, feeling she had been caught in some severe ignorance. "That's not common knowledge from where I come from."

"I see... Well, maybe it's for the better. We're not the easiest creatures to coexist."

"Also..." Freya added, "I'm not a Princess."

Leander cocked an eyebrow and the motion was so sharp, that she could spot it even in the darkness. "And why is that?"

"Don't know if you caught this clearly, but I'm a bastard child. My mother is unknown," Freya stated.

"And why does that fact make you think you're not a Princess?" He asked and Freya had to tell herself that she didn't grasp a change in his tone, which seemed... Gentlier?

"This is how our court works. This is how I was raised. Is it different from where you come from?" She couldn't stop herself from asking.

Leander paused for a moment, but when he replied, Freya was sure his tone was gentle and somehow caring, "Every single child is precious, dear Princess. You shouldn't think any less of yourself only because you don't know who your mother is."

Freya frowned at first hearing him once again call her 'princess', but then she reconsidered their entire exchange. He didn't need to repeat himself, she comprehended then that he was being genuine. Besides all the physical differences between their courts, this one surely was the first thing that made them so glaringly different in terms of their morals. He called her a Princess. And he genuinely meant it. He was the first one ever to call her that. Several times now.

A warm feeling spread over her body like a balm.

This whole 'vampire thing' situation was like a splinter in her eye and surely that wasn't going to change quickly, but for the first time a thought lighted her mind, and it told her that this truly confusing man could have ended up much, much worse.

Taking advantage of the opportunity to ask questions, she decided to move on to the next issue that interested her.

"How do you feed?" She didn't ask about what they ate. That much was explained by her father. She had to know how they managed to fulfill their needs without wiping humans and other creatures from existence.

The man held his horse still. The movement was so sudden and surprising that it took seconds for her mind to gather what was happening. Freya eventually followed. In the meantime, he got so close that she could smell his scent. Leather and pine. She inhaled deeply without hesitation, feeling shivers all over her body. That seemed to catch his attention because he leaned slightly toward her, mesmerizing her with every movement.

"Would you like to learn in practice, my lady?" His gaze fell on her lips, then slowly on her bare neck and cleavage. Freya wore a white linen shirt, boned with a wide corset-type belt in her middle, although right now she felt like he could penetrate through it all.

She felt hot and she felt like breathing was the hardest task she could do at the moment.

"Is it the next part of your abilities that I want to say 'yes'?" Freya tried to remain clear-headed but with every passing second it was getting harder. For a moment she felt like at the lake, being in his arms and watching every little movement on his face. Wishing... Oh, gods... Wishing for him to lean in and claim her lips with his own.

He must have been doing it on purpose! There was no way these thoughts were her natural feelings! Besides the evident arousal, Freya had started to get angry. What was she? A tool to be used for his own amusement?

The Prince's eyes once again focused on her lips. Then, he met her furious gaze. She could tell he was thinking about something. His little frown indicated such, but whatever he had figured out, his response wasn't probably as eloquent as his thoughts.

"Perhaps," he simply muttered, making some much-needed distance between them, although his gaze seemed to bore through her without pause. Freya didn't leave eyes from his silhouette, checking him out without remorse now. Something about his enigmatical response was off, and she was dying to know why.

The strangeness of this twinkling was interrupted by an angered voice coming from afar.

"You better move those bloody asses, or you can arrange your roomsby yourselves," Qadir spat from the distance. "I'm fucking donewaiting..."