Bride To His Darkness
Chapter 43: Experiencing Nature

Chapter 43: Experiencing Nature

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The hunt was to take place in a vast dense forest outside the walls of EmptyHollow, whilst they began their journey early to avoid arriving late. Ivan rode ahead of everyone with Abdiel and one of the Grand Masters of the hunt flanking at his side. Alistair, Tobias and the rest of the prince rode behind Ivan while the subordinates and guards followed behind everyone.

Making it out of the dense wood that was covered in mist, Ivan and his companions made their way past the small village that would lead them down the path of the hunting ground. The Vampire lord was regally decked in black leather armor, with his long black cloak streaming behind him. The rest were all dressed in their finest hunting attires and armed with their trusty bows and arrows.

The ash-colored smoke that ascended in the air made it known that the people from the village were up and had started their daily duties. As they rode past, Samantha, who sat behind Herbert on his dark horse, was fascinated by the humans living close by.

Some of the villagers crossed themselves when they passed by, while others stared in open-mouthed awe before lowering their heads immediately. It wasn’t everyday the crowned Prince graced everyone with his otherworldly presence, and only the brave ones were able to steal a peek at the handsome princes of EmptyHollow.

In spite of their fears, the respect in the way they bowed for the Princes’ had Samantha blinking in stupefaction. Craning her neck to look at Ivan who rode ahead of everyone, the Vampire Lord kept his serene gaze fixed on the path ahead, and he emitted such an intimidating aura that could not be mismatched.

As they continued further into the mountains, the people began to disperse, returning to their small homes whilst others continued with their daily activities. They seemed happy and content with their simple lives, with nothing but the daily hassle of a village to keep them occupied. Watching them only made Samantha feel homesick, she missed her home, but if only there was still a home she could return to.

It was only necessary for her to keep away, because if her background ends up being uncovered by the people of the Palace, then her head would definitely be severed from her body.

Swallowing the tight lump in her throat, she gave her head a mental shake, refusing to let herself think about the tragedies in her life. Taking a deep breath, she focused on the journey ahead.

It was a four hour journey from EmptyHollow to the hunting ground, and Samantha bit her lower lip in pure anticipation.

She was starting to wonder how long they needed to ride before reaching the place, and her patience battery was starting to run low. She was curious to see what it looked like, and like an answer to her question, Samantha’s eyes widened in fascination when her gaze spotted the greenery ahead.

When their horses made it through the greenery, Samantha’s green orbs sparkled with undenying awe. She had grown up hearing about the beauty of nature from her Father, but this would be her first time seeing one.

The trees of the forest were tall and imposing, their branches thick with leaves. Positively piqued by the sight, Samantha plucked one of the fresh green leaves, an inquisitive smile gracing her lips as she studied it.

The ground beneath them was coated in a soft carpet of fallen leaves. Streams flowed through the forest, sparkling as the first rays of sunlight broke through the canopy above.

"We stop here, My Lord." The Grand master of the hunt alerted Ivan who was also carried away by the beauty of nature. Clearing his throat, he nodded whilst Abdiel announced to everyone that they stop here.

Dismounting from their horses, they continued on foot. The sounds of wildlife filled the air - The chirping of birds, the rustling of leaves as small animals scurried through the undergrowth, and the occasional grunt of a deer could be heard.

"Do you hear that?" Tobias’s soft voice reached the ears of everyone, and he breathed out in pure satisfaction. "This is what I call life."

"Lifes that are about to end up in our bellies, of course."

"No, that one is called the circle of life." Tobias sighed before looking around, "now where do we begin? Small animals first? Or larger ones?"

"I say we make it interesting, like a competition." Prince Nichole candidly suggested. "First one to catch a deer gets the biggest share during the feast tonight. To make it fair, we keep our powers at bay. Who’s in?"

"I’m in." Alistair immediately agreed, as well as the rest of the Princes’ who voiced their participating agreement.

Samantha’s smiling eyes drifted to Ivan who didn’t join the rest of the Princes’ in their hunting challenge. Unlike everyone who was trying to get some fun out of the hunting game, the Vampire Lord seemed detached from everyone else as he just kept walking, staring into space with a solemn expression.

"Ivan, aren’t you going to be a part of the hunt?" Alistair called for his attention, snapping him out of his train of thoughts. When he noticed everyone’s gaze was solely fixed on him, as if waiting for his approval, he simply nodded like he knew what they were talking about.

"I’ll start from there." He pointed towards a path and began walking in the direction.

"He didn’t take his crossbow, what does he intend to use to hunt?" One of the Princes’ asked, and Samantha looked at Herbert who was in charge of Ivan’s horse.

"Pass me his Highness’s bow and arrows. He’ll need it for the hunt." She said, feigning the voice of masculinity that only sounded like she had a sore throat.

Herbert, who stared at the delicate hands of the strange subordinate, said nothing. He quietly handed the bows and arrows to the strange aide who sprinted towards the direction Ivan had taken. Shaking his head lightly, he followed behind while everyone else separated to find a deer they could kill.

Abdiel stayed behind, and being a man of his duty, he brought work along with him. Bringing out a brown book from his bag, he went through the list of slaves establishment Ivan had requested he’d locate for him, and then his eyebrows furrowed suspiciously.

"Why does he need lists for every slave establishment?" Abdiel was starting to worry, was he planning on getting himself another blood servant??

Ivan, who had wandered deeper into the forest, halted in his steps when he came across a flowing stream. He inhaled deeply, taking in the fresh morning air. The breaking dawn had cast everything in a beautiful soft light, and the trees seemed to glow with a golden hue in the morning light.

A flicker of sadness reached his eyes, and he pursed his lips. The sight of the forest reminded him of what GreenHollow used to be like before the disappearance of the orb. Isn’t it strange how the life of a big land was connected to a small glowing mystical orb? And with its absence, GreenHollow, which had been named EmptyHollow, looks like a deserted dark forest.

If his Father was still alive, what would he do in this situation?

Samantha, who successfully made it to where Lord Ivan stood with his hands behind his back, quietly sauntered to stand beside him. Noticing the presence that had joined him, he turned his head to look at the young woman who handed him his bow and arrow.

"You’ll need this for the hunt." She stated, and Ivan’s gaze dropped to her hands. Receiving his bow and arrow, Ivan merely kept it by his side, hardly showing any interest in wanting to shoot at anything.

"Lord Ivan, pardon my tone but you came here to hunt with everyone, the least you can do is keep your boring nature aside for today."

Samantha didn’t have the intention to be rude, but she hardly understood the man standing beside her. Her annoyance was growing each second, and she wished she could switch this man with another interesting prince. He was standing in front of nature, and even the sight brought a smile to Samantha’s lips, but this Vampire, he couldn’t possibly be born without emotions like his uncle, right?

"Little Lamb." He casted a side-glance at the woman who impulsively met his gaze. "I have been here, more than several times. It is you who needs to experience the happiness of nature. Foolish woman." He retorted, and all Samantha could do was gape at his arrogance and cavalier.

Twitching her lips, she chose to ignore his rude remark. Letting her gaze fall on the flowing stream in front of her, Samantha crouched down and cupped the fresh water that flowed in front of them, splashing it on her face.

"The waters here are clean." She commented before looking at Lord Ivan. "Do you come here all the time, or just during specific seasons?"

"It’s an age-old tradition, I have to accompany everyone to the hunting ground." Saying this, he reached for her arm, pulling her up to her feet. "Stop playing with the water, there are no physicians here to tend to you if you fall sick."

He reprimanded her, and Samantha reluctantly stepped back, frowning at his scolding tone. Heaving a soft sigh, she folded her arms and happily listened to the birds chirping their morning melodies. Just being here filled her spirit with vigor.

"Now I wonder." Samantha turned her head to look at Ivan. "Was EmptyHollow like this? I wasn’t fortunate enough to see the beauty of GreenHollow. I was born right after the tragic accident happened, but... my Father told me stories of how rich our land was, and how many kingdoms envied it."

"He wasn’t wrong." Ivan simply remarked, staring ahead. "This is a normal forest, Little Lamb. Surely, the ones of the mystic orb would appear more enchanting."

Speaking of the Mystic Orb, Samantha looked at Ivan and carefully stated. "I can agree that my Father may have taken the Mystic orb, but he never killed the King."

"I know." Ivan’s retort left Samantha dumbstruck. "What? You.... You knew?"

"It’s just an instinct, there’s still no proof that shows he’s innocent of the crime." Ivan turned away from her, "All evidence painted him as the murderer, his fingerprint was on the dagger too, but he was.... Human. It would be a shame if my father was indeed killed by a human. There’s more to that night than what I see, but first, I will only concern myself with matters of the present."

"Which is?"

"Don’t get curious." The Vampire prince, who had been trying hard to hide his discomfort, failed when a subtle pain suddenly crept upon him.

Clutching the left side of his chest, he glanced down at the source of the pain, confusion etched on his face. Samantha, who had been enjoying the view, gently frowned after seeing Ivan heave a deep breath.

"Are you alright?"