King of Spades

So it Begins

Sitting on the castle roof with their younger siblings was the best part of the day. They would regale each other with tales of the past, though Sol had heard it all before.

As Sol snapped back to reality, Delune finished the tale of the Crow and the Silverfish. Argan started giggling, hanging onto the shingles for dear life. His hair covered his face, the wind whipping around. The roof shook from the might of the weather, the shingles seeming to only be attached by one nail. The stone castle, filled with cobwebs and old suits of metal, echoed with the laughter of the people at the farmer's banquet. Sol was supposed to appear, and they were already in their formal wear. The roof seemed like a more appealing place to be, with Argan and Delune.

"Wait, Delune! Your necklace!" Argan leaned backwards, grabbing Delune's necklace, which was very close to falling off the edge. In a flash of worry, Sol stood up and grabbed Argan's leg, staying perfectly balanced on the knife's edge that the roof was. Argan was extremely clumsy, which was abundantly clear when he started sliding off the edge of the roof.

"Sol, one of these days you're going to have to teach me how to balance like a crow." Delune giggled, sitting calmly next to Argan.

"I'm not a crow, Delune, I'm more like a dragon-" Sol tugged him back with ease, folding him over the top of the roof. His face pressed against the cold shingles, mirroring the tips of his boots, which were on the opposite side of the roof.

"Well that was certainly.... fun." Argan jokes, turning to Delune. She snatched the necklace from his hands and slid down the side of the roof, landing on the royal terrace.

"Later losers!" Delune shouted, giggling. When Sol looked back at Argan, they noticed that his necklace had been stolen by Delune, who was already halfway down the castle by now. Argan shouted angrily and spun around the top of the castle, his feet facing the courtyard on the other side. A scraping sound was made as he slid down the roof, disappearing to the terrace. Sol laughed, letting themself slide down the roof to follow the two rambunctious children.

***

The wind that whistled through the castle seemed to follow Sol wherever they went. The windows to their room were gone, the banquet hall had a draft, the stifling air of the basement was less stifling whenever Sol was in it. Today the wind had a plan to lead Sol into the woods.

The day prior had been a long day of talking and meetings with their parents, the king and queen. A banquet had been held, and though the food was delicious, it was ultimately very boring. Now, the castle was full of people who were either boring to speak to or had to leave.

There were a few refugees, however, that came from a small village up in the mountains called Silbenchester. Apparently, their village had been destroyed by wolves and other assorted monsters, and only a few people survived.

Maria and Sloane, twin woodworkers, masters at their craft. Jackson, an old wild man, skilled at horseback riding and blacksmithing. Savern, a young hunter with a missing leg. Ava, an artsy woodcarver with a knack for horseback riding. These were the remnants of Silbenchester, and the only people who knew anything about what happened in the far north town. The King and Queen were going to interview them in the afternoon, to gain more information about the monsters.

Sol woke up early, opening the window. Leaves, brown, yellow, and red leaves, blew in from the outside forest. After Sol got dressed, they began to throw the leaves out the window, in an effort to clean up their room. This effort was in vain, for more leave blew into the room. Some slipped under Sol's door and into the dusty hall, which they took as a sign to follow. This sort of thing didn't happen every day.

When Sol entered the hall, leaves blew in from the outside, from maple trees to oak. The leaves formed a line at their feet, sweeping through the castle and down the stairs. Though it was odd to see leaves in the castle, Sol figured that it was just the winds.