The Evil That We Are

CHAPTER THREE

FOURTEEN YEARS AGO

The moon hung high above Melody's head, but gave little light to the weary travellers as they made their way under the thick foliage of the southern forest. Richard's dark form in front of her swayed slightly in the saddle as he shifted, even someone as natural a rider as Richard was uncomfortable after two days hard riding. Melody alone was still able to enjoy the ride. Her strange way with animals had ensured that the small mare she had been paired with for the last three nights took as good care of her as it would its own foal.

The townsfolk had been awfully terrified five years afore when her unusual effect on animals had first been truly witnessed. The young Melody had been skipping ahead of her mother as they walked back home from the market place, when a sudden shout had sounded to the left of the woman and child. Melody herself paid no attention to the commotion around her, but the Countess Palatine had understood the warning, and, even though she did not hesitate, the wild-eyed colt still reached Melody first.

The desperate stable hands ran as quickly as they could after the dark colt, they had already seen him bowl over three children prior that had not dodged out of the way quickly enough. None wanted to see the little princess hurt.

But the untamed beast shocked all who had looked on in horror as he dug his hooves into the cobblestones. The creature turned his head to the side to better look at this small being that didn't move away with a single, wide and bloodshot eye. He'd let out a scream and swished his long, knotted tail with unfamiliar fear. The powerful colt rotated almost ninety degrees to the side before he'd stopped. Melody turned to him and grabbed at the dangling rope to pull down the head high from panic until he could lip at her hair.

He gave little resistance to the strange human foal and instead inspected her carefully for injuries, as the colt could remember his old mare doing to him when he'd tumbled as a foal himself.

The stable hands had frozen with shock at this malicious beast who bit until he broke through skin and stomped until he broke feet turned into an old, broken and nurturing children's pony in front of them. His tail moved with worry, even as his ears went backwards and forwards continuously. He stood over Melody protectively, the way stable hands had only seen mare do with their newly born foals.

It was unnerving and unnatural with how the venomously violent colt had been so suddenly tamed – no, changed. The young stallion had become the exact opposite of everything the stable hands knew. They stood without movement until the colt knelt onto the worn cobbles with all four legs tucked underneath him, and Melody managed to scramble onto his back.

"Princess!" the leader of the three shouted out, stretching a hand towards Melody. She paid little enough attention to the man, but the colt, recognising the voice, turned to face the man. Once more he became the beast they knew and feared; his ears flicked back until they lay hard against his skull, his chin lifted and his eyes widened, the still shoed fore hoof pawed the stones, and he let out a vicious scream.

Screaming, he thrust his body forward with all the force he could apply, but took only a single step before the tension drained out of him.

Melody's petite hand, small enough to fit outstretched within a single horse shoe and not touch the metal, was pressed firmly against his long neck.

"Do you like my little horsy, Mister Steven?" Melody called out to the stable hand. "I like him. Is he one of Father's?"

Melody's voice had been, and still was, years more mature than her gentile face, and often it had the unfortunate effect of wiping clear the thoughts of those around her. That is what had happened to Steven the stable hand, and he'd wet his lips twice before any words came back into his mind.

"Yes, princess. The colt was bein' kept at the Count's Commons stables 'afore we broke him fer' ya. He's a dangerous beast, little Mistress – y'all wanna get off 'im now."

Melody had just smiled, "but I like him. And he's Father's – so he's mine. He won't hurt me." She looked down at the creature she was sitting on and had petted his shoulder. "He's so pretty, I'm going to call him Dark Wish."

It was a strange name for a little girl, but one that had stuck in Melody's head for months after she'd heard the story of an ancient knight and his battle stallion; the Dark Wisher.

After many arguments between her parents, Dark Wish had indeed become the princess's mount. But at over seventeen hands tall, he was deemed too dangerous for casual riding; for no matter how gentile the stallion might trot, the fall from his back for a small child still presented too many risks of injury.

So now, five years later, Melody's main mount was Palace Whisper, Dark Wish's mate. Only under extreme supervision and in a controlled area could she ride her dark stallion.

Palace Whisper shifted under Melody, bringing to the girl's notice the lack of movement.

Richard approached her from the left. Like Dark Wish, Palace Whisper was very protective of Melody, she would let very few people near the princess without biting and kicking at them.

When Richard was close enough, the mare thrust her head forward with her mouth open. However, unlike with anyone else, she did not bite him. For her restraint – for only one human was ever truly safe from her teeth – he gave the horse a half-eaten apple and a rub between the ears.

"How much longer?"

"We should be there before sun high tomorrow." Richard smiled, ruffling hair already messy from the humidity before picking her up at the waist. He gave a half turn and set her down on a flat stone that was yet to be covered by the endless mud. "But only if we leave early enough."

Melody sighed but shook her head in understanding, "You don't want to travel through the night."

It was a statement, and Richard took it as one. "You know I don't. you and I may be fine by ourselves, but we have a company with us. Weary, fearful and paranoid soldiers are a danger to all around them, even those they're supposed to protect."

Melody opened her mouth, but before she could utter a sound, Richard has a finger pressed against her lips to stop her.

"Shhhhhh... Yes, I know you didn't want to bring the company, but remember Father is powerful and has enemies. He doesn't want us attacked again."

So, Melody just sighed again and reached up on the tips of her toes until she could undo the clips holding her sleeping pack fastened behind the saddle of her mare.

"I wish it could be just us, going off on adventures like we had when we were little."

"You mean when you were little – I'm five years older." Robert teased.

Melody jumped to the next rock, but then stopped and turned to face her brother with a serious frown on her face, rather than skip to the next stone. "But you were littler too – and Mother and Father both say I'm more responsible."

Robert just shrugged and kept walking, he couldn't quite think of a decent come back that wouldn't ruin the light-hearted mood between them.

Fate, however, was determined to destroy the good humor.

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Author's Note:

- Thanks again to everyone who's read my story so far – every read helps!

- I know I skipped last week's update, and for that I am truly sorry. I've been sick the last while, and still am. But I don't want to disappoint all of you – so here's Chapter three. I'll try and have another chapter out tomorrow for y'all.

- Please read and share this story, I'd love the motivation it gives me.

- I love constructive criticism, so please don't hold back (unless you're gonna be just plain nasty).

- This chapter is dedicated to one of my followers - @MysteriousMaskedGirl – thank you for following me and believing in my work.

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