They left for Garenthal early that morning, with Serena and Ivar in a carriage, while Rathgar rode on horseback with six of his most trusted men. The first part of the journey, through the Shadowland mountains, Serena rode with Ivar on his horse, thus sparing her the discomfort that she had previously experienced. They rode until nightfall before stopping to make camp, erecting a tent for Serena, who spent the night alone, while Ivar remained outside with the men to keep watch.
When the sun rose the next morning, they continued their journey, and with the road being smoother and flat, Serena sat in the carriage alone. Ivar rode beside the carriage, at times going forward and then falling behind, as he constantly surveyed the surrounding woods.
After another full day of traveling, they stopped again and set up camp for the night. They had a fireside dinner before Serena retired to her tent and the men fanned out through the woods, leaving Ivar and Rathgar, alone beside the fire.
"We should reach Garenthal before nightfall tomorrow", Rathgar said, staring into the flames.
"We're making good time", Ivar agreed.
"The Royal Palace has been prepared for your arrival"
Ivar nodded, saying nothing, he disliked the Royal Palace almost as much as he did the Northern High Council, but it was expected that he would bring his bride there. Another ridiculously ostentatious tradition that he abhorred.
"When will you tell her?", Rathgar asked.
"Once we are settled in the palace"
"You are to present her in the morning, you're not giving her much time to prepare", Rathgar shot him a quick glance.
"She'll be fine", Ivar countered.
They sat in a companionable silence, watching the flames dance as they hungrily devoured the logs. Almost an hour had passed and the men still had not returned, and Rathgar stood, his eyes scanning the trees and his ears, straining to listen for any unusual sounds. Ivar came to stand beside him, his eyes narrowed and his jaw tightening as he too, studied their surroundings. They heard the snap of a twig and in the next instant, Rathgar was gone, disappearing through the trees at lightning speed.
Ivar disappeared, instantly reappearing in the tent and startling Serena, who had just been dozing off.
"We're leaving", he said, throwing her a cloak and blowing out the lamp.
She didn't ask, simply putting on the cloak and wrapping her hands around his neck as he lifted her into his arms. She felt the, now familiar, rush of wind before they appeared on his horse, as he shouted and the animal took off at breakneck speed. The trees sped by in a blur of color as her heart pounded in time with the horse's hooves.
Behind them, they heard the long, drawn out howl of a wolf, immediately joined by more, the sounds echoing through the woods. Ivar dug his heels into his horse's side and shouted again, his ears discerning that the wolves were getting close. The horse galloped faster and as the trees began to thin, Ivar caught a glimpse of the beasts that were chasing them.
"Lycans", he spat contemptuously, urging his horse to run faster.
Figures emerged, running on all fours, from between the trees and streaking across the clearing from all sides. Serena had heard tales about the Lycans, whispered fearfully around the fireplace, while glancing over one's shoulder, but had never actually seen one. Seeing the figures fast approaching them under the moonlight, she could just make out their shaggy, matted fur and predatory, yellow eyes, while their vicious-looking jaws filled with razor-sharp teeth, dripped with thick, glutinous strands of saliva.
Serena felt her blood run cold and she turned head away just as they entered a clearing that ended with a sheer precipice. The horse showed no sign of slowing down or stopping as she stared, wide eyed, at the approaching drop. She turned to look at Ivar, just as he leaned forward and whispered something she couldn't quite hear, the rushing wind instantly tearing the words from his mouth.
They were almost at the edge of the cliff and still the horse ran at the same breakneck speed while Ivar continued to urge him on. Serena's heart was beating so fast that she thought it might burst right through her chest and she swallowed, suddenly finding it difficult to breathe. Looking up at Ivar, she felt her eyes water from the wind that whipped around them, wrapping them up in its icy embrace. Ivar glanced down at her, and she saw his lips moving as he winked at her, the sides of his mouth curving upwards into a reassuring smile.
And then everything slowed down, as they reached the edge of the precipice and the horse skidded to a sudden, bone-jarring halt and Ivar let go of the reins. Her ears seemed to have gone deaf, and she heard no sound, not even the wind, as they were launched through the air and over the horse. She looked down to see the horse, just as the ground disappeared and they fell through the air, Ivar's arms still around her.
She shut her eyes tight, afraid to look down, her hands wrapped fast around Ivar's neck and her face buried against his chest. As the seconds ticked by, Serena became vaguely aware that they were no longer in motion, neither moving up nor down and thought to open her eyes but was too afraid to do so until she heard Ivar's voice.
"Open your eyes, Serena"
Slowly she opened her eyes and gasped in shock as she realized that they were suspended in mid-air, floating gently on the currents of air that swirled around them. In front of her was the dark, rocky surface of the precipice from which they had fallen while below them loomed jagged rocks that glinted wickedly under the moonlight. She turned to look at Ivar, her eyes, wide and questioning, and her mouth open, as she searched for anything that could explain why they were not falling to certain death. Ivar only grinned at her, his eyes twinkling with amusement, obviously enjoying her confusion.
"Are you not pleased to learn of your husband's many talents?"
"It pleases me greatly, Your Majesty, and I am most grateful", she answered softly, struggling to find her voice.
"You can fully express your gratitude later", he said smirking.
Hearing movement above them, Serena looked up to see something dark plummeting towards them at impossible speed. It slowed as it drew closer and glimpsing tendrils of silver hair and a flash of burning red eyes, she realized that it was Rathgar, as he floated down to hover beside them.
"Took you long enough", Ivar grinned at him.
Rathgar only grunted in response, his head moving across the desolate landscape, searching for a safe landing.
"That way", Ivar said, reading his mind, as he indicated the direction with a nod of his head.
They flew through the air and Serena stared awestruck at the dark landscape below, dotted here and there, with tiny, twinkling lights, that she guessed were houses or open fires. Around them, the clouds materialized from a distance only to dissipate as they grew closer, like ghostly spectres that haunted the night sky. It was freezing cold and she was glad to be in Ivar's arms, stealing warmth from his heavy, woolen coat as she pressed tightly against him.
Traveling some distance away from the woods where they were attacked, they eventually descended, landing softly on the ground without a sound. Both vampires scanned the area, Rathgar moving swiftly through the trees, while Ivar stood waiting with Serena still in his arms. The silver-haired vampire returned some minutes later with two horses, his red eyes glowing in the dark as he strode towards them.
"There's a small village not far from here, we can acquire fresh supplies there and continue to Garenthal"
Ivar nodded, placing Serena on the ground and mounting one of the horses before reaching down to pull her up to sit in his lap. They rode in silence for a while before Serena felt his lips brush against her ear.
"Are you comfortable?"
"Yes, Your Majesty"
She stiffened when she felt his fingers touch her side, stroking her through the thin fabric of her nightgown, which she still wore under her cloak. She wasn't aware that he had unbuttoned her nightgown until she felt his hand slip inside and cup her breast, teasing her nipple with his thumb.
"Still comfortable?", his voice husky in her ear.
Unable to speak, she only nodded, turning to briefly glance at Rathgar's back, where he rode ahead. Ivar moved his hand to her other breast, cupping its smooth softness and rolling her taut nipple between his fingers as he began kissing her neck. Using his other hand, he positioned her on his lap so his she could feel his erection pressing up against her. She licked her lips, looking anxiously at Rathgar and back at Ivar, her breathing becoming rapid.
"Ivar!", Rathgar's voice rang loudly in the silence of the forest.