Picnic with Hidden Words

Chapter 19 – Picnic with Hidden Words**

After admiring the breathtaking fountains—each one carved with shimmering obsidian creatures that danced in the spray—I found myself trailing behind Thalia, awestruck by the palace's spellbinding beauty. It annoyed me to admit it, but even though I hated the people who lived here… this place itself? It was something else. Mysterious. Timeless. Almost sacred.

Golden fields stretched before us, kissed by morning light that bathed the landscape in a dreamlike glow. I tugged gently on Thalia's sleeve.

"Hey, Thalia," I said, glancing toward the distant horizon where armored shadows moved with purpose. "Can you show me where the army trains?"

She blinked, visibly surprised. "Why, my princess? Do you have… a man there?"

I smirked. "Of course I do. Tall, handsome, deadly. I *must* pay him a visit."

Her cheeks flushed as she tried—and failed—to hide her amusement. Just as she opened her mouth to respond, a familiar voice rang out behind us like a bell through calm air.

**"Princess Ravena!"**

Seraphina approached in elegant strides, her golden gown catching the light and her smile warm with the kind of grace born from generations of nobility.

"Hello, Princess Seraphina," Thalia said, bowing respectfully.

"Ravena," Seraphina said, taking my arm without waiting for a reply. "It's too beautiful a day to waste. We're having a small picnic under the moonberry tree. Would you join us?"

I hesitated for only a moment. "Well... I suppose I can't say no to that."

"Excellent! Come."

We followed her to a secluded grove where a massive tree bloomed with pale lavender leaves that shimmered like starlight. Beneath its shade sat two girls on velvet cushions embroidered with silver threads. Lyriana, reserved and composed as always, and Vaelira—her smile already aimed directly at me.

"Hello, Princess Ravena," Lyriana greeted me softly.

I nodded with a polite smile. "Hi."

"Ravena!" Vaelira beamed. "You look absolutely radiant today. That dress... and those eyes. How does someone look like spring and danger all at once?"

"Oh… thank you. You look lovely too."

Vaelira scooted closer, lowering her voice conspiratorially. "Did you know... Prince Damiar almost *never* brings guests to the palace? Especially not guests like you."

"Vaelira," Seraphina warned in a hushed but firm tone.

"What?" she asked innocently. "It's true. He's not exactly a creature of warmth. Cold as the cliffs in winter. Cruel when provoked. If someone crosses him, blood usually follows. Even if they're family."

I raised a brow, uneasy. "Well, he hasn't killed me yet. So I suppose I'm special."

Vaelira grinned mischievously. "Exactly. That makes you very interesting."

"She's right," Lyriana added. "Few stay long in the palace without reason."

I looked around the grove, the food laid out before us in immaculate detail—strawberry-glazed pastries, honeyed bread, crystalline fruits from the silver gardens. Yet I couldn't shake the strange tension in the air.

"So…" I said slowly. "Do any of you know anything about... vampires?"

All three of them froze.

The silence was sudden, heavy.

"What do you mean?" Seraphina asked, voice cautious.

"I saw something in the garden last night," I said, lowering mine. "Red eyes. Inhuman speed. Cold breath. It wasn't a dream."

Vaelira let out a short, awkward laugh. "Please. We all have nightmares sometimes. Especially in places like this."

"Exactly," Seraphina said quickly. "There are many with red eyes in our realm. The king, some nobles. It's not uncommon."

"But this felt different," I insisted. "It felt ancient."

Lyriana's eyes flickered toward Seraphina, then back to me. "You're safe here, Princess Ravena," she said gently. "That's all you need to know."

I nodded, but a coil of doubt tightened in my stomach.

After the meal, I stood to leave, giving a slight bow. "Thank you. It was… insightful."

They echoed goodbyes, but their eyes followed me longer than necessary.

Thalia was quiet as we walked back through the palace. I turned to her as we reached my chamber door.

"You're still taking me to the training grounds tomorrow, right?"

"Yes, my prin—uh... Ravena," she said, catching herself.

"Good girl." I winked. "That's better."

She offered a nervous smile. "I'll get used to it eventually."

"Relax, Thalia. I'm not going to bite you."

She laughed—a genuine laugh—then bowed quickly and slipped away.

Once inside my room, I collapsed onto the bed. My eyes traced the ornate carvings on the ceiling above, every detail whispering of history and power. But my thoughts weren't on architecture.

They were on *it.*

The creature from the garden.

The one with the red eyes that locked onto mine like a predator.

I'd read about vampires. Curses. Hidden bloodlines. The old lore kept secret in palace libraries. The ancient ones with breath like frost and speed that defied reason.

No matter what they said...

I know what I saw.

And deep down, I could feel it: this wasn't the end.

It was only the beginning.