The Woods

Chapter Six

"So, if your brother rose to the throne, that would mean he is older than you, right?" Having finished eating lunch hours ago, Casper had invited me to join him to stroll in the gardens. It was an unexpected invitation, but I was grateful for the kind gesture, nonetheless.

Everything was breath-taking, with every plant seeming to be in order, not a leaf out of place. At the border of the gardens was a wall of twisted wood, which looked as if it had grown naturally, the branches twisting delicately, yet looking solid enough to keep people out.

"Not necessarily. Our kingdom works differently than that of the mortals." Casper had a distant look in his eyes, almost as if he were thinking back to a long time ago, which was very likely, considering how old he was. "He is older than me, but the only reason he took the throne is that he proved to be stronger. When the throne is passed down, the potential heirs must battle and see who is dominant. As soon as he released a show of his power, I swear the ground trembled. I didn't even bother to fight him – I just dropped my sword and knelt."

For someone as prideful as Casper, it seemed completely out of his nature to do such a thing, though I supposed he knew his limits well enough. Plus, he probably didn't want to get beaten up, despite the shame it could've brought him to surrender so soon.

"Was he surprised?" I asked.

"Oh, not at all," he chuckled. "He knew that his power surpassed my own and respected that I didn't want to get beaten up in front of everyone. So, a week later, our father passed the crown down to him and he has ruled ever since."

We continued to talk and stroll together for a while, the conversation slipping into other topics, before we realised the sun was already setting, slipping down behind the tops of the trees. Time was different in the Woods, I realised. Casper was quick to bring me inside, though answered none of my questions as to why he was so concerned. It was only when we stepped through the doors and into the castle that he seemed to relax.

"Is everything alright?" I asked.

"Promise me something, Fida," he said, ignoring my question. I stared up at him, frowning slightly. "Never go out at night."

"Why not?" I asked. His tail flicked with irritation and he gripped my shoulder tightly.

"Just promise."

"Fine," I finally said. "I promise." It was clear he wouldn't tell me anything, but there was a chance he would explain later. Perhaps when he trusted me more. Nodding, he let me go and we started to walk through the halls toward the dining room.

As we walked, I saw two people turn into the hall, one a man and the other a girl. The former was muttering angrily, his face contorted as he scowled at the ground. The latter followed him like a trained dog, her head bowed and her golden hair like a curtain to conceal her face. Both had features of a lion; the man had a mane of copper hair, which I thought was a beard at first, and a tail hanging behind him. The girl had no mane, rather having whiskers sticking out from her cheeks, soft ears and a tail.

Both paused when they saw us, bowing to Casper. "Your Highness," the man said, his voice like poison. It was smooth and eloquent, the same traits the king and prince had in their speech, yet there was a dangerous edge to it that I didn't like.

"Lord Benroy," Casper greeted, his voice clipped. It seemed as if they didn't like one another, for whatever reason. I stared at the girl, who dared to glance at me once before bowing her head once more. Was she Lord Benroy's wife? No, even with their immortality, she seemed too young. His daughter, perhaps.

"It is a pleasure to see you, Your Highness." His eyes examined me coldly. "Might I ask who the girl is?"

"You may not," Casper dead-panned. "I see you've finished speaking to His Majesty."