21 Walking through the dungeons

Sophia couldn't make out the reason for Edward's uneasy behaviour. She drew nearer to him, and pulled the wine glass away from his loose grasp, drawing it to her nose, only to find that he overdosed on wine. Sophia gave out a filthy expression, went to the other side of the table, heaved up the coffee mug and splashed cold coffee on his face.

The coffee came like an ocean wave over Edward. The coffee spilt on his face, making him part his eyelids, and stand up from the chair in bewilderment. The coffee dripped down to his pants. His white empress shirt turned into patches of chocolaty brown, spitting on the floor and turning the bottom into a half-filled pond.

" You silly girl, what have you done. Don't you know I was reposing off? And what are you doing with my wine glass?" the vampire asked angrily, deepening the lines of anger on his forehead.

" You drank too much wine, I think so. I thought you will drop unconsciously over the couch. Then, if anything wrong happened, who would stand beside me?" she spoke in a staggering, scared tone.

The vampire stood up and kept walking over to Sophia, who kept treading backwards slowly with every successive step the vampire took. She kept treading backwards when her body hit the wall. Sophia closed her eyes, wrinkling her eyelids and shielding her face with both her palms.

Eddie placed both his arms upright beside Sophia, caging her under his arms. He continued to slide them upwards. Sophia could sniff the smell of coffee. Then Edward placed his hand below her chin and said in a low gentle tone, pronouncing every word slowly" Silly girl, why? why are you always so afraid? why do you always have to entertain troubles? you wanted me to drown in the coffee that's why you didn't drink it. You messed up with a prince, dear. I will punish you, but not now. I have some urgent work to do now."

Then withdrawing her from his grasp, he turned his attention to the door. He was about to reach the exit, treading slowly, when Sophia grabbed his hand. The vampire turned his face at Sophia and switched it to his hand in Sophia's grasp.

" Prince Edward, please tell me about the horse you have tamed in your dungeon." Sophia glued her gaze to Edward's eyes, her eyes throwing a keen, innocent shimmer, pleading with him.

" Can you hear its sound? I thought no human can ever hear it. It cries like this after a gap of three to four days. It's locked up in the dungeon. And don't forget to keep a ten feet distance from it, because it's very temperamental." warned Eddie, grasping Sophia's palm and walking to the exit of the hall.

As they meandered throughout the palace, Sophia got acquainted with several unexplored areas. They walked past several rooms and several cabins. Sophia could gaze at the swords care rooms, and the kitchen with a mouth-watering odour, as the door was kept open ajar. The rooms inside the entire palace were uncountable on fingers and everyday use digits.

" Do you live alone in this palace? I still doubt this assertion." Sophia lifted her eyes at Eddie, who treaded with a serious grimace, failing to peek at the girl, who lengthened till his stomach. Sophia withdrew her gaze, after staring at him for one whole minute.

They entered the dungeon, where darkness made dwellings. It was a place where fireflies buzzed all over to illuminate that complete darkened basement. But their light hardly served as a lamp inside the dark chambers, where every path hinted at underestimated death.

They were deep down on the ground floor of the place. In that clueless path, Sophia's heart could only pound harder, her mouth would gulp saliva. She made sure Eddie was beside him. She continued to lean her hand on his torso, making attempts to grab his hand.

As they both kept pacing slowly inside the chamber, Sophia's foot hit a raised bump on the floor, making her slip on Eddie. " Ouch, it hurts," Sophia spoke in a painful tone.

" What happened, dear? are you okay? I hope you aren't hurt." His hazel brown orbs turned red and radiated.

" I am sorry, dear. I forgot that you are also accompanying me. I usually pass through this area, without needing any glimmer or flash, to act as an aid. It's because I am a vampire, and vampires can see with much ease in the dark." He spoke in an apologetic tone, clenching Sophia's palms softly.

" I am fine, I am fine. It didn't injure me much. The pain is gone now. I am feeling quite relieved. You can reach down and check my ankle." Sophia's gentle voice continued to echo, assuring her companion.

Suddenly, Eddie's eyes shined brighter than before. He snapped his fingers, alarming the flies. The buzzing of fireflies increased, making Sophia press her palms to her ears. The fireflies, located in different spots, joined together in the centre. The path became clear, with every object and item visible to Sophia's eyes. The flies radiated a golden light, making Sophia feel light-hearted.

" Thank you fireflies! Now I can see the path clearly and will no longer have to walk like a blind girl." Sophia thanked them, flicking her finger over them.

Sophia and Eddie continued to walk slowly, following the flies who accompanied them ahead when Sophia noticed a white figure of a horse at the far end. As they drew closer to it, Sophia sensed that it was not a horse, she kept thinking all over the path, but a pegasus.