Chapter Eight - Winter Wonderland
Today is the day of my date with Ivan. Ayla and I are currently in my room as we decide what I'm going to be wearing because Ivan has told her where he will be taking me. Ideas are running through my mind of where we could be going as I stare at the clothes she's pulling out of my wardrobe. All of them are warm and casual.
"Aha! This will do!" She grins before laying the items on the bed. "Now get dressed while I get your makeup out."
I chuckle softly before entering the bathroom and putting on the blue denim jeans with the soft pink sweater. To pair with it, Ayla chose white shoes and a coat with a beanie just in case I want to cover my head. It's a very casual look which I like. As soon as I exit the bathroom, she sits me down in a chair by the vanity table and starts on my makeup and hair. We chat away about anything and everything and the hour flies by. Before I know it, I'm walking up to the mirror and smiling at my reflection.
"Thank you." I whisper as I hug her tightly.
"Anytime! I'm always here if you need me." She chuckles and pats my back. "Now, shoo! You wouldn't want to keep Ivan waiting too long."
"Okay." I murmur nervously as I grab my bag and leave the room. "I'll see you later."
"You'll love it, don't be nervous! It's just Ivan." She smirks but amusement shines brightly in her emerald eyes.
"That's the problem." I mutter under my breath when I'm out of earshot, knowing that I'm going to turn into mush at the sight of him.
God, I hope I don't end up acting like a bumbling fool because of my nerves, I think to myself. Sighing, I continue down a hallway that will lead me to the courtyard of the castle where Ivan said he will be waiting for me. Guards and the staff members all nod at me as I walk past and I smile back before I end up by a set of double doors.
One of the men manning the doors opens it for me with a smile. Thanking him, I step outside only to freeze at the sight before me and my jaw drops. Ivan looks extremely handsome wearing a navy coat with black jeans and boots, but that's not what captures my attention. He is standing in the middle of the field and petting a dragon's head!
The creature takes up most of the courtyard and its wings are probably around the size of two, large houses alone! It's a red dragon with an orange stripe down its back all the way to its tail. I also notice the large claws and its body is completely covered in scales. He or she is beautiful...but also scares the crap out of me especially with those sharp teeth.
"Amelia, come here." Ivan's call snaps me out of my blatant staring as he gestures for me to come closer.
I gulp before stepping forward on shaky legs. My mind is screaming at me to run in the opposite direction but I continue regardless. Reaching Ivan, I almost thank him aloud for wrapping an arm around my waist for my knees would surely buckle from fright! Now that I'm much closer the dragon towers above me so high that I must crane my neck slightly just to meet its yellow eyes.
"Meet Ira." A small smile graces Ivan's lips as he stares up at the creature who is now standing to its full height. (Pronounced eye-rah)
"I-Is Ira your pet?" I squeak before stumbling back when the dragon steps forward with its wings outstretched.
"No." He chuckles while absentmindedly rubbing soothing circles into my hip with his thumb. "Dragons are very intelligent creatures who cannot be bound to anyone. We let them roam free as they should but if they take a liking to someone then they choose to serve them from time to time. Ira prefers my company than others."
"Is Ira a he or she?" I wonder aloud, my eyes on the dragon as it takes in its surroundings.
"Ira is a male." He explains as he tugs me forward.
"O-Okay." I stammer as I hesitate to move closer.
"Hey..." He murmurs, probably sensing my fright. "Don't be scared, Солнышко. Ira is harmless and kind." (Little sun.)
"Does he breathe fire?"
"Yes, but only when he's angry." He smirks as amusement dances in his emerald eyes. "Just trust him. He's going to be transporting us to the location of our date after all."
I wait for him to admit that he's joking...only he doesn't. Gaping at him, I fumble for words as my gaze flickers between the enormous dragon and Ivan repeatedly. "You cannot be serious!"
"I am. It'll take us days by car. And besides, you can see the kingdom this way." He all but pulls me to the dragon who lowers himself to the ground for us to get on.
"Ivan..." I whimper, clutching his shirt when he turns to me and prepares to hoist me on.
"Do you trust me?" He asks quietly with an intense look in his eyes, as if that question holds more meaning than just in this situation.
"Yes." I breathe and watch him relax completely. "But if I fall to my death, I will haunt you."
"Don't worry, I wouldn't dream of living contently without you by my side." He drawls sarcastically before gripping my hips and hoisting me onto Ira.
I clutch onto the dragon's neck and feel his scales underneath my fingertips. Ivan hoists himself up and settles behind me before wrapping his arms around my waist. My breath hitches at the action but I think he mistakes it for fear when Ira rises to his full height and spreads his wings.
"Lean forward slightly and hold on to his neck. Don't let go." Ivan murmurs in my ear, making me hold on for dear life.
He pats the dragon on the left side of his neck and I tense when Ira starts to flap his wings, creating fierce wind that blows through my hair. He then takes a giant leap and pushes himself into the air. My eyes widen when I see the land below us with its people seeming like ants from up here.
The higher Ira climbs, the more I see of Ivan's kingdom. The castle is the finest piece of architecture I have ever seen and I find myself struggling to catch all the details. It's carved entirely out of stone and metal, the numerous pillars almost touching the clouds above as they glint in the sunlight. There is a stone wall that surrounds the courtyard of the castle but I notice a tall arched gateway to its left which is currently closed.
An large and intricately carved balcony catches my eye and I recognize it as the one where Ivan and I spend most of our time. Apart from that, all I see is windows upon windows along with the maintained garden surrounding the castle with valleys of mountains in the distance.
The castle is the biggest building with four stone pathways leading in different directions before scattering into tiny roads and villages. As we fly further away from the castle, I hear Ivan explain that we are travelling down south of the kingdom. I try to ignore my queasiness whenever my gaze drifts downwards, afraid I might just fall to my death.
Everything seems enchanting here yet so simple at the same time. The few people that my eyes could focus on for a brief second wore ordinary clothes, nothing like in the human world. I glance up when we've left the city and gape in awe over the numerous dragons flying before me. They are of all different sizes and are gifted with colored scales that take my breath away as they soar gracefully in the sky.
Ira continues forward but I find that the weather is changing drastically. The wind that was once a warm breeze is now icy cold which makes me press back into Ivan's body. He wraps an arm around my waist and caresses my abdomen absentmindedly. The tingles that used to be faint are more intense today. I feel my cheeks heat in response and they're probably a fire truck red by now.
The noise of Ira's wings makes it too loud for us to hear each other so we stay silent for the journey and enjoy the views instead. Sometime later, we break through a mountain valley only to be greeted by the sight of what I would call a winter wonderland. I gasp in surprise but the wind carries the noise away. My hand unknowingly squeezes Ivan's arm in excitement and it is only when his chest vibrates from laughing that I realize.
Ira finds a reasonable amount of land for himself before he descends quickly. However, he slows down just before his feet meet the untouched white blanket of snow. I hop off with the help of Ivan and notice the snow reaching a little above my ankles. I thank Ivan mentally for telling me to dress warm.
We leave Ira, who is going to wait for us according to Ivan, before making our way to the forest. I hold Ivan's hand tightly because I'm afraid of slipping over frozen areas of dirt and embarrassing myself. As we trek through the woods, I try and coax an answer about the location of our date from him but he refuses to even let a little clue slip past his lips.
Eventually, we arrive at a vast clearing where the trees aren't so compact. There are tall mountains surrounding us with snowy peaks and tall evergreen trees planted around a huge lake that is now completely frozen. It's so magical and I find myself stepping forward with a bright smile. Ivan refuses to let go of my hand as he follows.
"I don't understand, it's not supposed be Winter yet." I breathe in amazement as I take in my surroundings.
He smiles and this one reaches his eyes. "Here, different areas have different seasons. If we travel to the north, it will always be summer. West is springtime and east is autumn."
"That's amazing!" I grin excitedly but frown when a thought strikes me. "Wait, which season is it at the castle?"
"Since we're in the center, we experience all the seasons. Much like back home."
I look back at the frozen lake that seems to go on for miles but there is nobody here. Turning to him with a puzzled expression, I voice my thoughts. "Where is everyone?"
"The lake is closed for the public today." He explains as he stares down at our intertwined hands. "I would like to keep you to myself as long as I possibly can."
"Does keeping me a secret have to do with the fact that I'm human?" I ask hesitantly, averting my gaze as if I'm almost afraid of the answer I might receive.
There is a long silence and I bite my lip hard when he doesn't reply, staring at my boots covered in snow instead. He steps towards me, startling me as he cups my face and tilts my head so that I meet his fierce green eyes. I catch a fleeting emotion, one that I can't quite decipher.
"I'm sorry." He breathes quietly, remorse in his eyes that is too quick for me to catch before he refuses to allow any more emotion to slip through. "Please don't ever think that I am ashamed of you. I want you as my mate regardless of whether you're a human or a werewolf. I know I hurt your feelings and caused you to doubt yourself, for that I'm truly sorry."
"Why did you leave that day?" I whisper but hate the undertone of hurt that manages to slip through my voice.
He grimaces before staring at me apologetically. "My beasts wanted to uh...claim you there and then and I couldn't let that happen. I want you to be comfortable with me before we take that step. I was so embarrassed that I didn't know how to tell you."
"Oh..." I squeak as I feel my cheeks heat again for what felt like the thousandth time today.
He chuckles but then sighs heavily. "I really am sorry, Amelia. I should have told you straight away the reason for disappearing but I was mortified. I still am. I hope you can forgive me for hurting you?"
"It's okay, I understand." I smile, happy with the fact that he told me so I can let go of the hurt now. I saw him fighting for control that day too, so it's forgivable. Especially now that he's trying to build our relationship. "So, two beasts huh?"
He chuckles before guiding me to a row of benches where two black ice skates are left for us. As we put them on, he explains and I discover more pieces of Ivan Romanov along the way.
"I have both a vampire and werewolf just like my father." He rolls his eyes cheekily before looking at me in thought. "Did you find out like the rest of the supernatural world?"
"Yes. I never saw you again after you turned fifteen so I didn't know whether you had shifted into a werewolf, vampire or both." I shrug, my fingers clutching his as he helps me up.
"I'm sorry." He apologizes regrettably as he pulls me onto the ice and keeps me close as we begin to skate. "It was chaos when my parents found out that Ayla and I are hybrids on the night of our sixteenth birthday. I had a difficult time learning how to control both sides of me so I was unstable and couldn't be close to people."
"Don't apologize for something that was out of your control!" I scold softly, watching his lips quirking in response.
"I wanted to visit you, believe me I did. But, juggling lessons on controlling my beasts and ruling a kingdom took away any free time I had. Dad could never control his vampire properly but I found that I could. Therefore, it took longer to tame them without witchcraft or magic to help me." He explains with a faraway look in his eyes as he guides me further down the frozen lake.
"Yeah, you were never there when my family and I would visit during the summer holidays." I smile sadly as I recall the times I would be disappointed when aunt Aurora would tell me that he's out of the country.
"Dad would send me to Russia every summer where his mentor resides. For those three months, I would learn every skill imaginable in combat. The rest of the year, I was back home where my parents would teach me how to lead a kingdom." He reminisces with a small smile on his lips. "Mom would have a fit every year before I left, she still treats me like I'm two."
"So, when did you take over from uncle Vulcan?" I ask as we skate in circles around each other.
"I took over the throne three years ago." He replies before letting go of my hand and skating down the length of the lake, whirling around so that he is now skating backwards.
"Do you want to race?" I grin excitedly as I catch up to him.
"No. I don't want you hurting yourself." He replies sternly before shooting me a warning look.
"Or are you afraid that you'll lose?" I challenge and watch him stiffen. I remember him to be a very competitive person.
"Amelia..." He growls in warning which only makes me smirk in response.
"Last one to the leaning tree is a sore loser!" I yell before taking off down the frozen lake with a gleeful laugh.
Instantly, I hear his skates behind me which causes me to increase my pace. My loud laughter echoes in the quiet area and is the only sound to be heard. He taunts me from behind as his fingertips brush my sides and arms, making me squeal in surprise before I feel his arms wrap around my waist as he twirls us around.
"Hey!" I pout as I wind my arms around his neck. "I was winning!"
When I look up, I see that his eyes have darkened significantly which makes me step back in surprise. He follows suit and cages me against the barrier made from metal and wood with his arms on either side of my body. My hands find themselves clutching the lapels of his coat, our breaths visible in the frigid air as we stare at each other. There are butterflies fluttering crazily in my tummy and the tingles have intensified from before.
"You look beautiful. Did I mention that?" He murmurs huskily as the back of his hand grazes my cold cheek.
"Oh!" I whisper, startled by the change in mood as I blink up at him. "Um...thank you. Ayla actually picked –"
He cuts me off by pressing his lips to mine.
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