Chapter 4
Poppy POV
I woke up to the sound of the wind, almost strong enough to blow me off where I sat. My heavy eyelids struggled to focus as I blinked once, then twice, adjusting myself on the horse.
Confused about where I was, I looked around. We were on a horse—someone was sitting behind me, holding me steady.
The horses ahead of us trotted forward, and I caught sight of Rhain riding his. His horse was bigger than the others.
I slowly turned to see who was behind me.
"Stay down or else you're going to fall," a female voice spoke up.
I recognized the voice as the witch who had rendered Arya and Mama unconscious.
I was cold. My wedding gown did nothing to shield me from it.
I gritted my teeth, looking around at the strange trees and mountains.
"We'll arrive at the palace soon," she said. "Then Ana and Sara can help you out of that dress."
"What's your name?" I asked, staring ahead at the woman who had nearly shot me with an arrow. She rode beside Rhain. Slowly, she turned to shoot me a hard glare.
"Valeria."
"Are you a witch?"
"Isn't it obvious?" she asked and paused before adding, "We'll be home soon."
"Home?" I scoffed. "Cordova is no home of mine."
"Once you're married to the King, it'll be your new home," she said.
A tall fence made of ice came into view. It was so high, you couldn't see what was on the other side. I looked up and saw guards patrolling the top.
Just then, the iron gate creaked open, revealing a castle that was both beautiful and terrifying.
The sky above was a dark red and cloudy—nothing like the clear skies back in our village. The walls were made of dark gray stone, and the flags of Cordova hung from them: red and black with a skull in the center.
At the centre stood a giant golden statue of Rhain himself. He wore a long cloak, held a crown in one hand, and a long sword in the other. The statue towered at about twenty feet tall.
The garden near the castle was filled with both dead and black roses, each blooming with sharp thorns.
Cold wind continued to blow, sounding like a wolf's howl.
"Welcome to the palace," Valeria said.
"Why is the sky red?" I asked.
"Vampires cannot withstand the sun, so the witches helped create a veil over the sky," she replied. "It's not always snowy here, you know."
Our horse continued toward the castle in silence.
"If the witches could do all this, why can't they lift his curse?" I asked.
"Watch your words, human," the other female with the bow snapped, baring her fangs at me.
"Lilith," Valeria hissed.
"Hold your human, or she'll lose a tongue tonight," Lilith warned.
Valeria dismounted and held out a hand for me. I accepted it, feeling as if my fingers had turned to stone.
We entered the palace through a set of heavy iron doors.
The walls and ceiling were painted black and red. Curtains remained drawn, covering the windows.
"Come this way," Valeria said, leading me toward the stairs. "I'll take you to your new room."
I didn't say anything. My head pounded, and I was still shaking from the cold.
After some time, she paused and turned to look at me.
"Can you walk? Or should I carry you?"
"I can walk," I said.
We continued walking, turning left where another set of stairs led us upward.
Once we reached the upper floor, Valeria escorted me to a wooden door painted red. She opened it and stepped aside for me to enter.
"This is Sara and Ana. They're your new maids," she said before leaving the room.
I stood at the door, staring at the two young girls who looked about my age. I wondered if they were vampires—or witches.
"My lady," one of them smiled, stepping forward. "I'm Sara."
"I'm Ana," the other said, joining her.
"We should prepare you."
"For what?" I asked.
"For your wedding," Sara replied with a smile.
"Wedding?" I asked again.
"Yes. We received a message before the King left—he said he'd be returning with his new bride," Sara said. "You look beautiful."
"Why are you in a wedding gown stained with blood?" Ana asked.
I looked down, clenching my fists as the memory flashed before me.
"Your King did this to me," I said through gritted teeth. "He killed my husband."
They didn't look shocked.
"We should prepare you."
"How many girls have suffered the same fate?" I asked.
"That is not a question for us to answer," Sara said, taking my wrist and leading me to the bathing chamber.
As I lay in the tub filled with warm water, Ana poured water over my hair.
"Your hair is so beautiful."
Like Mama, I had long, beautiful blonde hair. My skin was pale as snow, and I was neither tall nor short.
Before I could say thank you, Ana continued.
"Once you're married to the King, you'll need to keep him happy before the ritual night."
I opened my eyes.
"The King gets bored easily with his brides. He would—"
I raised my head to look at her.
"He would what?" I asked.
"Ana," Sara gave her a warning look as she washed my feet.
"He would what?" I repeated.
"Well," Ana smiled nervously, "I shouldn't be saying this."
She continued running her fingers through my hair.
"Mmm... The King must have noticed your hair first."
"He would what?" I asked again.
"He would kill them," she said. "There was once a beautiful girl like you. She had long blonde hair too. But she wouldn't do as he said. She even tried escaping the castle with a maid. King Rhain caught them," she explained. "He cut her hair, ate her heart and left the rest for the vultures."
I shivered.
"There was another. She was bold and foolish enough to fall in love with the King. When she got pregnant, the King didn't want that."
"There was also another—sweet little thing—who fell in love with the Kingsguard. King Rhain left that one for Lilith to hunt."
"What do you mean, hunt?" I asked.
"Have you ever witnessed two vampires feed on a human?" she asked. "It's terrifying."
Ana squeezed the water from my hair and wrapped a towel around me.
"The King warned me before. We shouldn't gossip," she said.
I slowly turned to Ana. "Are you in love with the King, Ana?"
"Don't mind her," Sara said. "She talks a lot."
I ignored Sara and continued to stare at Ana.
"Are you trying to scare me? What would happen if the King heard about this?"
"I'm sorry," Ana quickly bowed her head. "Please don't tell the King."
"Leave."
She stood and walked away quickly.
Once she was gone, Sara helped me dry off and dressed me in the traditional wedding gown of Cordova—black with red designs.
"You are ready," she said with a smile.