Maiden of the Forest

Chapter 9 - The King is Missing

The last fortnight had been horrific to say the least. The first three days after being crowned King, Kit had to force himself to eat and attend meetings. There were several days following that, however, in which he refused to get out of bed and forced the Grand Duke to leave him be to wallow until he was ready to meet the challenges of the day – the hardest of these had been the day of and after his father's funeral.

Kit refused to revisit that day, deciding that he'd rather forget the tears he shed in front of everyone and how he'd fumbled in his speech because his emotions were all over the place. That day had been the blackest of his life. For three days he stayed within his chambers, wallowing until a persistent Captain Alistair rained guilt upon him that he was neglecting his duties as king.

Today marked two weeks and three days since his father's death and his ascent to the throne. Kit was in his new study poring over documents that needed his approval but his heart wasn't in his work. His heart was aching again and he'd lost his appetite. After all, he was sitting in the king's study, a room that used to be his father's. Kit threw his quill down and stood up. He felt a need to get out of the castle. These documents he had been slaving over for hours could wait several more.

Rushing from the room, he had a desire to run, to fly away from the stuffy confines he had been living in for weeks. The servants he passed gave their respects, "Your Majesty," they all said. Kit inwardly recoiled every time the title was spoken. By the time he'd reached the stables he was breathing heavily and tears were forming in his eyes. He didn't even wait for Eric to ready Tiberius. Instead he leapt onto his steed bareback.

He reached the gate and shouted for the watchman to open it. The startled man did so though he was very concerned. The King appeared to be in quite the state. Kit knew he was being reckless; the new king riding off on his horse without a saddle and without any guards. He was sure to get a severe tongue lashing from the Grand Duke and Captain Alistair but right now he didn't care. He wanted and needed to be alone.

He forced Tiberius to fly through the streets, the people milling in them flinging themselves out of the way in alarm. Thankfully Kit didn't hit anyone and was able to make it out of the main part of the city and out into the open country in minutes. The loud cry of a warning bell went off and Kit knew from that the watchman had probably informed the others of his hasty departure. Frowning, he directed Tiberius towards the wood.

The horse's hooves pounded into the dirt road and as the wind slammed into him Kit felt a sense of wild freedom. He leaned back and closed his eyes, allowing Tiberius to be his eyes for a moment. The fresh air held the promise that autumn was about to come and Kit breathed it in deeply. Opening his eyes, he looked around. They were still on the dirt road but wild fields of tall yellow grass seemed to beckon to Kit, as if whispering to him to come off the trail into the wood. Acting on impulse, he gently tugged Tiberius's mane to the left.

They reached the thicket, the tall trees above creating a lovely canopy from the late afternoon sun. Some of their leaves had already turned from green to gold, indicating that a new season was slowly coming to life. Kit loved the autumn and looked forward to it every year for it was the time of change, the time to celebrate the harvest, and the time to prepare for the harshness of winter. His anguished soul seemed to be soothed a little as Tiberius slowed from a hearty run to a slow walk.

Kit hadn't really been paying attention to where they were going for he was simply enjoying himself. He knew his time was limited. The Royal Guard was bound to find him soon. Sighing, he pulled Tiberius to a stop. Dismounting, he walked around and patted the horse's head.

"I'm sorry for driving you so hard through the city," he muttered as he stroked Tiberius' cheeks. The horse's dark eyes seemed to gleam as if to say he didn't mind in the slightest. Kit smiled. "They're going to come looking for us, you know. We'll be dragged back into that stuffy palace where memories haunt me every day. I needed to get away, Tiberius, to think, to be alone."