Kara stirred lazily in bed, the heavy velvet fooling her into thinking that it was still deep into the night. She stretched slightly and the settled again, vaguely wondering why her blankets felt heavier than usual and why the bed seemed warmer, but her sleep fogged mind was unable to grasp any thought for long, much less make sense of it and she drifted away again.
The sudden burst of light and the accompanying shriek of her maid pulled her sharply and cruelly back. She half sat up, startled and found herself looking into two sleepy blue orbs. Darkness enfolded them both once more as crashing footsteps forced their way into the room.
"We heard a cry," said one of the palace guards. Kara held her breath and looked worriedly at Hunter who merely smiled lazily at her and raised a finger to his lips.
~Shh…they aren't going to check the bed and even if they did we haven't done anything wrong. Don't look so worried.~
Kara couldn't form a coherent response at that point in time so she simply stayed silent and waited.
On the other side of the curtain, Millie lowered her head shyly, "It was me. I thought I saw a mouse."
One of the guards stared to mutter something about human servants and the silly fears most seemed to have but was cut short as one of his companions elbowed him sharply and jerked a thumb at the bed. He coloured at the thought of how close he'd come to insulting humans within hearing distance of the future princess and looked bashfully away.
"Well if you're sure nothing's wrong…" one began.
"Oh it's quite all right," Millie answered, "I'm sure it's gone now. It just gave me a bit of a fright is all. You know, corner of the eye and all that."
The guard nodded understandingly and they all turned trooping noisily out.
Kara dropped her head onto Hunter's chest as she went limp with relief. She knew what Hunter had said was true. It wasn't against the rules for them to be in bed together, not exactly, but she did not want all of the guards staring at them, never mind half the court once the gossip started and she could already hazard a guess at what the gossip would sound like.
"I rather suspect my lady would like an extra hour in bed," Millie said thoughtfully, barley suppressing her laughter, before leaving quietly.
"Remind me to get that girl a pay rise," Hunter stated. Kara giggled, covering her hand with her mouth.
"Not that I'm not thrilled to see you but what are you doing here?" she whispered.
"Well I stopped by last night but you were asleep. I only sat for a minute, honest! Next thing I know its morning and the maid is shrieking at us. Is that your usual wake up call because if so I'm afraid you'll have to do without after the wedding." Kara laughed again and hit Hunter playfully on the arm. Suddenly she sobered, smiling softly at him.
"It's nice to see you," she said, her voice barley above a whisper. Hunter smiled gently and trailed a finger lightly down her cheek.
"Likewise."
Kara lowered her eyes, smiling a little. After the barest hesitation, she curled up against him, laying her head on his chest. "I've missed you." Hunter stroked her hair, twining strands of it idly around his fingers. He moved his fingers to the base of her neck and massaged in firm, tension reliving circles. The muscles under his skilled fingers felt as if someone had tied them into knots despite the fact she had just woken up.
"I have a surprise for you," he told her.
"Really," Kara murmured and looked up at him, a mischievous smile playing about her lips.
"Not that kind of surprise," he laughed. "But if that's what you want," he said, his voice a low growl as he rolled them both over so suddenly all Kara could do was go with him, until he was lying on top of her, his legs on either side of hers, holding her in place. He positioned his elbows on either side of her head and rested most of his weight on them. Wouldn't do to crush his future bride after all.
"Whatever am I going to do with you Princess," he whispered, lowering his head until his mouth was hovering above hers. Not quite a kiss, but close.
"I could think of a few things, your highness," she murmured.
He closed the gap between them, brushing his lips against hers and her lips parted with a soft sigh. She wrapped her arms around him, pulling him closer, all the while half afraid that at any moment he would disappear and she would wake from this dream to find her bed and her arms empty. The weight of his body pressed against her, the contours of her body moulding against his. It wasn't hard for her to tell he was very happy to be were he was. One hand cupped her breast through the thin material of her nightdress and she gave a tiny, involuntary gasp, arching her back and pushing her body more firmly against his. It had been far to long since he'd held her, too long since he'd touched her.
Someone coughed on the other side of the bed curtains and they broke apart, startled and feeling like teenage lovers who'd been caught by someone's parents.
"My lady, will you be taking breakfast this morning?" Millie asked. Without seeing her maid's face Kara could tell she was laughing.
"No thank you," Kara said, trying to keep her voice as even as possible.
"Very well." Millie said. "Would you like your coffee as usual?"
Kara sighed. She could take a hint. "Yes please."
Millie didn't say anything more but they both heard her leave. Kara sank back onto the mattress and looked up at Hunter.
"She has an impeccable sense of timing," Hunter remarked dryly, stretching out on his side beside her, one hand resting idly on her stomach.
"So what was the surprise if it wasn't that," Kara asked, with a tiny smirk, lacing her fingers through his.
"How do you feel about a picnic?" he grinned down at her.
"A picnic?" she squealed in delight.
"Uh huh, just the two of us. No guards, no nobles, no meetings, no duties, just you me and a picnic basket."
"I can't wait!" She smiled up at him. Hunter kissed the top of her head, and then pulled away withdrawing his hand from hers.
"I leave you to get dressed…and have your coffee," he half laughed. "I'll go change and get the horses ready. You have half an hour."
"Yes sir!" Kara mock saluted him from her place on the bed as he climbed off of it and then was gone. She heard the door shut firmly behind him as he left.
***
"Kara! Where are you?" Hunter called out in the forest a few hours later. He had tethered the horses and while his back had been turned she'd disappeared. He glanced worriedly around and was about to try and find her with their bond but just then he heard her slightly muffled answering cry.
"Over here! I've found the perfect spot!"
"Where? In the next kingdom?" he joked as her left the path, following the sound of her voice, ducking under branches and pushing them aside. He found her in a perfectly round clearing. The grass was soft and springy under his feet and sunlight spilled from the open circle of sky above them, bathing Kara in warmth and light as she knelt on a red blanket, spreading out their picnic. He was glad that fiction writers in Kara's world were wrong about the vampire's need to live in the darkness. It was true they had a higher sensitivity to light and greater night vision but they were by no means confined by the sun. Hunter leaned lazily against a tree and watched her. Sensing him there she looked up and blushed.
"Well what do you think?" she asked almost shyly.
"Beautiful," he whispered.
Kara blushed all the more and ducked her head so that her long black hair hid her face like a veil. He grinned as he walked over, dropping to his knees beside Kara on the blanket he cupped her chin in his hand and turned her face towards him, dropping a kiss on each cheek. Kara laughed a little nervously as it occurred to her this was this first time they had ever done anything that would really be considered a date. Looking away she grabbed some of the sandwiches and handed them to him a little clumsily.
He grinned at her as he took them thinking there was something sweet in the way he was able to make her so flustered. He glanced down at the sandwiches, thinking that it wasn't often he took his meat well done but he was so thrilled to be giving Kara something as normal as a picnic that it didn't really matter. He watched with something close to amazement as she handed him an unlabeled green bottle. It looked like a small wine bottle but he knew it wasn't wine that it contained and uncorking it and sniffing confirmed it. Cow's blood. Did she know? He looked at her and he could tell that she did. He put it carefully to one side.
"Kara…" he began but she cut him off with a wave of her hand.
"I know. It doesn't matter. You're a vampire and I've seen you and the nobles drink it at dinner all most every night. It is just cow's blood after all, isn't it?" she said, smiling at him, her trust absolute.
Hunter nodded his head slowly in answer.
"Well, I eat meat so wouldn't it be hypocritical of me to complain about you drinking the blood of an animal that's already been killed to feed me?"
Hunter's mouth tugged into a brief and flitting smile, gone almost as soon as it had appeared. HE swallowed hard, knowing he should tell her but unwilling to ruin such a perfect day. She was looking at him with such trust and innocence how could he bring himself to take that look from her eyes? He wasn't sure he could bear her withdrawal.
He swallowed again, also knowing it wasn't right to keep this from her. "We…never did talk about the wedding ceremony, did we?"
Kara shook her head. "No, I just know everyone seems determined that I should be a virgin in the day in question. You're not really going to sacrifice me in some arcane ritual are you?" she joked.
Hunter laughed softly, "No, everyone's just a little obsessed with tradition around here and..." he paused.
"And?" Kara prompted gently, sensing there was something bigger that he was trying to get at.
He looked away from her, "You see…the thing is…" he stumbled trying to find the best way to tell her but he was cut off by the sound of heavy footfalls and someone shouting his name. Hunter muttered a few choice words under his breath before calling out an answer and moments later two guards trooped into the clearing. Kara stared sullenly at the blanket as Hunter got up and approached them. The three stood having a whispered conversation that seemed to make Hunter angrier by the second. The guards looked torn, unsure whether they should obey the Prince and risk facing the King's wrath for having returned without him. It was difficult to say which the lesser of two evils would be. After some more heated whispering Hunter stalked angrily back to Kara. She got slowly to her feet and tried to keep the look of disappointment off her face.
"Should I being packing up?" she asked quietly.
Hunter placed his hands on her shoulders and leaned in so that his forehead was resting against hers. "Wait right here for me," he whispered. "I'll be half an hour at the most."
She smiled at him before brushing her lips softly against his. "Hurry back."
He pulled away from her and nodded his head once before turning round and stalking past the guards who quickly hurried after him.
Kara flopped back on to the blanket with a sigh as soon as they were gone, folding her arms huffily over her chest and staring at nothing in particular. Half an hour could be a long time when you're waiting for someone. She tugged idly at the corner of the blanket.
"There is nothing quite as unbecoming as a sulking Princess," a smooth voice stated close to her right. Shocked she sprung to her feet as fast as her skirts would allow whirling to face the speaker, annoyed that she hadn't heard anyone approach.
"Lord Cortez," she gasped as she took in the sight of the taller man leaning against a tree. He smirked, enjoying her surprise. Kara suddenly wished that Hunter had brought guards with them this morning. She wondered if she should call out to him. Lord Cortez wasn't exactly her biggest fan and there was something about him that made her skin crawl. She sincerely doubted he was here to exchange pleasantries with her.
"Although," he continued, "I must admit you look quite adorable when you're pouting." He sauntered over to where she stood stopping about a foot away from her.
"What do you want?" she demanded angrily.
"Calm yourself Princess," he said holding up a hand as if in surrender. "I came to make amends. I was hoping the Prince would be with you…well they said as much at the castle," he told her.
"He's only gone a moment," she lied. "To fetch something from the horses. Please, sit," she offered.
He did so, picking up the bottle she'd handed to Hunter not so long ago. She kneeled on the blanket taking a sip of water; her mouth was suddenly very dry. How was she going to stall until Hunter got back? Even if Cortez was sincere she did not want to be alone with him any longer than necessary.
But what if he doesn't come back, a traitorous voice whispered in her mind.
Cortez smiled at her lifting the bottle in a toast. "To you Princess," he murmured.
She forced a smile on her own face and lifted her bottle of water, returning his gesture. She put the bottle down and clasped her hands tightly in her lap. Should she call out to Hunter? Let him know what was going on? Cortez moved closer to her and she fought to quell the urge to scurry back, away from him. He lifted one of her hands in his and she plastered a polite empty smile on to her face when she really would rather have been screaming loud enough to bring the entire kingdom to her aid.
"I hope you will accept my apologies Princess," he began.
I will if it'll make you go away, she thought to herself.
"That you won't live long enough to see us ruin your precious Prince," he finished and her eyes went wide with shock.
~Hunter!~ she screamed out to him desperately, not even knowing whether or not distance could affect the bond they had with each other.
Something heavy hit the back of her head and she fell, slipping away into a black void.
***
Hunter reared his horse sharply, feeling Kara brush against his mind. Feeling her fear and panic and then…nothing. He reached out desperately to her and found nothing. There was a void. This was wrong, terribly wrong. He turned the horse, heedless to the guard's cries of protest as he forced his mount to gallop back towards Kara. He should have left the guards with her, he berated himself. He shouldn't have left her at all! The memory of her fear driving him on at a dangerous pace.
By the time he got there she was already gone.