Morning sunlight spilled through the thin curtains in soft streams of gold, warming the quiet inn chamber. I was still half-asleep, buried beneath the blankets, when suddenly the curtains were thrown open.
Light flooded the room.
I groaned softly and opened my eyes, blinking against the brightness, only to find Princess Eirlys already awake.
And fully prepared.
Her dark hair cascaded elegantly down her back as she stood before the mirror, carefully choosing between several dresses laid across the bed. Her makeup was already done flawlessly, sharp yet elegant, as though she had stepped out of a royal portrait rather than woken up only moments ago.
"Wow… weird," I muttered lazily while sitting up, rubbing the sleep from my eyes.
Eirlys glanced at me through the mirror, amusement dancing in her crimson eyes.
"Oh? Is that your way of complimenting me, future sister-in-law?" she asked teasingly.
I snorted softly before discreetly slipping the ring beneath my pillow.
"Oh please, do not get high expectations."
"Relax, ma'am," she replied dramatically, placing a hand over her chest. "I was only teasing you."
Ugh.
Sometimes she was so annoyingly playful that I genuinely considered throwing her out of the nearest window.
Unfortunately, we were staying at an inn, not a palace tower.
With a sigh, I climbed out of bed and headed toward the privy. The cool water helped clear my mind as I washed away the remnants of sleep. After bathing and brushing my teeth, I changed into a flowing golden-red dress embroidered with delicate patterns along the sleeves and hem.
When I returned to the room, Eirlys had finally chosen her outfit.
A black dress.
It wrapped around her figure elegantly, the dark fabric making her pale skin appear almost luminous.
Of course, it suited her best, because of course she was a vampire.
"Looking gorgeous," I admitted.
She turned toward me with a grin. "Same to you. But hurry up, we need to leave soon. The royal carriage from your palace, Helexia, should arrive any minute now."
"Mhm."
I sat before the vanity and began applying my makeup carefully. A dark red tint brushed against my lips while soft crimson eyeshadow shaded my eyelids. Finally, I drew a sharp black wing across my eyes.
Beside me, Eirlys wore fox-shaped eyeliner paired with dark eyeshadow and scarlet-tinted lips. Together, we looked less like princesses preparing for a formal journey and more like trouble waiting to happen.
Not long after, the royal carriage arrived outside the inn.
Before leaving, I quietly placed the ring into the small bag I always carried for emergencies.
No one could know the truth.
Not about the ring.
And certainly not about what I truly was.
A snake hybrid.
Not an ordinary one, either.
A special one.
Once everything was ready, Eirlys and I descended the stairs together. The inn had grown noisier downstairs, filled with travelers beginning their mornings, yet the moment I stepped into the lobby, the world seemed to still.
Because standing near the entrance were two men.
Prince Lorenzo.
And my brother, Prince Cassian.
For a fleeting moment, both Eirlys and I completely forgot how to breathe.
Lorenzo looked terrifyingly handsome in dark royal attire embroidered with silver patterns, his sharp features carrying the effortless confidence of someone born to command. Beside him stood Cassian, equally dangerous in appearance, his eyes carrying that familiar smirk that usually meant trouble.
I quickly forced myself back to reality and cleared my throat softly.
Beside me, Eirlys straightened almost immediately as well.
"Greetings, Your Highness," we both said simultaneously.
"Greetings to you as well, Your Highnesses," Lorenzo and Cassian replied together.
Cassian's lips curved upward slightly as his gaze settled on Eirlys.
A smirk.
Eirlys instantly looked away, though not before a faint blush colored her cheeks.
I nearly laughed.
Soon afterward, all four of us were seated inside the royal carriage as the journey finally began.
The wheels rolled steadily across the road while the morning sky stretched endlessly above us, painted in pale shades of gold and blue. Forests passed by beyond the windows, their shadows swaying gently beneath the sunlight.
Everything appeared peaceful.
Too peaceful.
Because beneath the quiet rhythm of the carriage, I felt it again.
And probably Eirlys also did.
That strange sensation.
Something watching.
Something moving in the distance.
My fingers tightened slightly around my bag as unease crept beneath my skin like cold venom.
The feeling was faint… but unmistakable.
Whatever it was....or maybe it was the masked man...
....It was following us.