Eve put a hand to her chest, holding her breath as she heard the door close shut once again.
"Who let the windows open?" A woman's voice echoed the room.
Eve cursed, slapping herself over and over in her mind. People had probably died for less in this place, she thought nervously.
"Let it be. The sun has set." The regent said, his voice dismissive as he walked over to the other end of the room, taking a seat on the plush diwan.
Eve let out a silent sigh of relief, shifting slightly as she strained to catch a glimpse of the man. Nikolai Morozov was lounging against the soft velvet cushion of the furniture languidly, his long legs dangling over the edge of the long diwan.
His heavy black robe hung at the edge of the seater, almost half of its luxurious cloth pooling on the carpeted floor. As always, the first few buttons of his shirt were open, exposing her eyes to what lay beneath. Her heart skipped a beat at the sight, reminding her of the events of the previous night. How close he had stood against her as his warmth-
"Tell me. What about the ambassador from Warne?" Nikolai asked, raising his brows at the woman before him.
Eve's gaze slipped towards the woman curiously. Since her back was facing towards her, she couldn't see much else than the cropped jet-black hair that reached up to her ears, exposing her long white neck and the bright red of her cloak that hung loosely on her shoulders.
A vampire, she thought to herself as she strained her neck, trying to see more. The woman shrugged, sliding off her thick coat, casually dropping it on the carpeted floor as she walked towards the window. Eve's eyes widened at the sight.
The woman was scantily dressed with a piece of leather going around her chest tightly, exposing her shoulders and the length of her slender stomach, with loosely hanging wide sleeves covering her arms. Long boots rode up her thighs and stopped a few inches short of what seemed like very short trousers.
It was her first time seeing such strange clothing. The red coat that she wore had been sewn with golden stars on her sleeves- seven of them, much like the stars on Ivan's sleeves which numbered only two more than hers. She was quite sure that it meant a high position in the king's army. Then why was she dressed like one of those girls in Emilya's inn the other day? Who was this bold woman?
"It seems like his coach had been ambushed on the route to Trye." The woman said, leaning on the windowsill, taking in the cold air of twilight. "At least that's what the men said."
At that, the regent tensed. His eyes flew open as he turned towards the woman, his forehead creasing as he looked at her worriedly.
"Ambushed? As in..?" He trailed off, expecting her to complete his sentence.
The woman sighed, turning around to face him. Her beautiful face was grim as she answered, "All but one survivor."
Eve squirmed back uncomfortably, her eyes trailing over the kohl-rimmed eyes, the small pointed nose, and her sharp chin as she realized that she was listening to something that she wasn't supposed to.
Nikolai smirked, laying his head back against the furniture. "Let me guess, the little heir." He said, staring at the domed high ceiling of the room.
"Yes." The woman replied, nodding in agreement.
"And the information?" The regent asked, glancing towards the woman.
"Safe, along with the child." She said, with the confidence of someone who seemed to have handled tougher situations. "We sent her back to Warne with an entourage of our best Nightlings."
Nikolai chuckled. "Good, I hope her father remembers this debt." He said, shaking his head delightedly.
Eve watched him smile in awe. But the question immediately popped in her head. Warne was supposed to be one of the smaller kingdoms bordering Trye, the Eastern Kingdom. As far as she knew, the two kingdoms had a good relationship with each other with even rumored ties of past marriages between them.
Why then was Ibitea, the Southern Kingdom offering help to safeguard the heir and not Trye? And a female heir? How was that possible? The king of Ernt, the Northern Kingdom had declared some time ago that his daughter was to marry the next king of Warne, wanting to promote good relations outside the kingdom. Had she heard wrong?
The woman sighed, looking hesitant as she took a step towards the regent. "Are you.." She trailed off, looking at him nervously.
Eve knew that expression very well. She had seen her stepsisters fawning over the lords of their village as if they were the rarest of gems. It didn't take a genius to see through the feelings that reflected in her muddy brown eyes. Eve felt a strange tightness in her chest as she watched the regent turn towards the vampire.
"Hmm?" Nikolai asked, raising his brows.
The woman tucked her straight black hair behind her ear nervously. "Are you going to join the frenzy tonight?" She asked, her cheeks flushing a light shade of peach.
The regent shook his head. "When have I ever?" He asked, running a hand through his hair lazily.
Eve licked her lips, her heartbeat unconsciously quickening as she watched the woman step towards him, reaching her hand out in his direction.
"Yet yesterday you-"
But before she could touch him, Nikolai sat upright, his eyes alert as he narrowed his eyes towards the other end of the room. "Who is there?" He asked, his voice loudly echoing in the room.
Eve gulped, cursing under her breath as she shrank back in fear. Shutting her eyes tight, she prayed that he hadn't noticed her. That it was something else or someone else who he had spotted. But the more she thought about it, the more she knew she was wishing for the impossible.
"I can hear your heartbeat, you know." The regent's words echoed in her head as the previous night's memories pushed at her.
"Caught you." Nikolai's whisper wrapped around her skin, his warm breath beating against her face.
Eve gasped, her eyes opening wide in shock as he slipped his hands around her, pulling her out and placing her on top of the table in the blink of an eye. What in the world was she supposed to do now?! She thought, staring into his inquisitive gray eyes meekly.
"Hello." She said, smiling at the man awkwardly.
The regent frowned. "And what exactly are you doing here?" He asked, leaning in towards her, his fingers on her waist tightening simultaneously.
Eve blushed, tilting her head to the side awkwardly. It felt uncomfortable with his mouth so close to hers, especially with someone staring at the two of them from the side.
"Cleaning your room." She replied, licking her lips nervously.
Nikolai sighed, stepping away from her to one of the candle holders. He struck a match and the stick whizzed alive with a small flame that passed between the candles until they were all burning high.
The woman who was watching the two stepped towards the light, her eyes widening as they landed on her. "Is that-"
"Yes," Nikolai replied, cutting the woman off before she could complete her question.
Eve looked towards her dangling legs awkwardly. She could feel their eyes on her running up and down the length and breadth of her figure. She did not move from the spot, afraid that it would jumpstart the punishment that she was to receive.
"I see." The woman said, her peach lips pressing into a forced smile. She turned towards the regent, and said, "I guess I'll see you around."
Nikolai nodded. "Good day, Sonka." He said, watching the woman disappear and appear at the other end of the room.
The woman chuckled, picking up her coat from the carpeted floor as if the term delighted her. "Good day, Kolya." She said, her smile brightening as she swung the coat over her shoulder.
In the blink of an eye, she disappeared, her departure only signaled by the sound of the door closing softly behind her. Eve slid down from the table, seeing that the regent was distracted. She knew that it was now or never. She had to escape before he noticed it.
She stealthily moved towards the open window, determined to jump out and save herself. She had barely touched the windowsill when his voice rang from behind.
"Stop."
Eve cursed under her breath, seeing the bridge to the other side burn down before her eyes. Bracing for the worst, she turned around, forcing a smile onto her face.
"I wasn't going anywhere." She said with a shrug.
"Liar," Nikolai accused, his face breaking out into a breathtakingly beautiful smile.
Eve gulped, placing a hand over her chest. "Stop smiling like that." She murmured, unable to look away from him.
The regent chuckled, walking towards her slowly, his each and every step more scintillating than the other. "And why would I listen to you?" He asked, cocking his head to the side.
Eve stepped back nervously. "I-" She paused, catching herself before blurting out something stupid. Was he flirting with her?! "Ugh! Never mind!" She exclaimed, tearing her gaze away from him forcibly.
Nikolai paused, standing a mere few inches from her. He reached out to grab her chin with his long pale fingers. "So tell me, why do you want to kill my nephew?" He asked, raising her face to his.
"What?!" Eve exclaimed, jumping back in shock.
The bluntness of his question startled her.
The regent smiled, raising his hand towards her once again. This time, she was much more prepared. Eve ducked, sliding under his hand as she rushed towards the door.
"I think the matron is calling me!" She called out behind her. "Good day Regent!"
"Nikolai!" The man said, his voice rising in what seemed like excitement.
Eve stilled, her head whipping towards him from the doorway. "Hmm?" She asked, confused.
"You can call me Nikolai." The regent repeated, flashing his clear white teeth at her.
For a second, her heart stilled. Had the regent asked her to call him by his name? She wondered, her heart starting to pump erratically. Was she dreaming? Or did he wish to see her pushed down the wall? She wondered, her eyes stuck at the sight of the silver-haired vampire smiling at her.
"Will you?" He asked, looking at her expectantly.
Blood rushed into her cheeks making her feel embarrassed. A slow smile crept up her lips as she chuckled, turning away from the man as she ran, heading for the stairs, her head dizzy from the warm fuzzy feeling enveloping her body.