The Queen

3.

We make it to the castle in a day and a half. And it's good timing too. I am not doing too well. I'm breaking out in a cold sweat and shivering even though I'm pretty sure it's summer here. I can't tell because its dark all the freaking time! During the day it gets slightly lighter outside but it's like a dusk kind of thing. The sun hasn't come out one time.

I am starting to breathe heavy, and I think Roc is noticing something going on with me too. I hope my wounds didn't get infected.

We arrive at the gate and two guards are standing there. It's a black brick gate with black iron bars. Past the gate is a small bridge over a dark gulch underneath it. The bridge leads to another larger gate that turns into a sort of high wall brick fence that goes around the entire castle. I look up at the top if the wall and it's riddled with guards arming crossbows and fire lanterns lit every few feet. Beyond this wall is the giant medieval looking Gothic castle. Like I'm pretty sure if Dracula was real, he fucking lived here.

Holy shit is Dracula real? I remember Kirian telling me that vampires were real here. Was he the King of Vampires? Hopefully he's doesn't look like the old movies made him look or that will just ruin it for me.

"Commander Roc. What business do you have here?" One of the guards ask.

"Let me through Brutus. I got something to deliver here!" Roc yells down at him as Dread paces in front of the gate impatiently to be let in.

"And the girl?" The guard asks as he looks towards me.

"She's the present I have to deliver. She's for the Kings," he tells them.

The guard nods back towards the larger gate and they begin to roll open upwards with a sound of clanging metal chains. Once it's up high enough, Dread rushes past the first gate and over the bridge. When he passes through the large second gate, he stops and a stable boy comes out to steady him for us to get off.

Roc jumps off first and then grabs me by the waist to help me down. He turns to a guard at the front door of the castle. "Oi! You! Go tell the Kings to meet me in the grand hall.  I got something they will want to see," he tells the guard and he scurries off to do his bidding.

Roc turns to me as I step on the now wet socks. "How are your feet love?" He asks me.

"They're fine, just wet I think," I smile at him, and he bends down to roll them down my legs and off of me.

"That better?" He asks and I nod.

"Actually, could you help me take this cloak off? I'm burning up," I tell him and I can feel myself sweating. I kept it one because Dread was running and wind was whipping around my face but now that we are still, I notice just how warm I feel.

Roc nods and he feels my forehead. He retracts his hand quickly. "You are feverish love. We need to get this over with and get you some medicine," he says and he takes the cloak off of my shoulders. Now I feel better with the cool air hitting my exposed back and shoulders and my hair is free to sway around d the back of my thighs instead of stuffed into the cloak. Roc stares at me as he looks me up and down.