Regnum Vetitum; The Forbidden

If that big oaf thought he could just throw her over his shoulder like a sack of flour he was sorely mistaken.

"Let me go you ogre!" Aurelia protested, a scowl plastered across her face as she squirmed and kicked. "One does not just haul a princess around like grain! Put me down!" She demanded again, now beginning to pout as she studied the back of the man's shirt. His jacket smelled like hay and apples, a smell Aurelia associated with horses. Although she knew Heath wasn't entirely bad, she still did not appreciate being yanked up by him. He was one of her kidnappers, after all.

"You follow that traitorous Prince like he's some kind of Robin Hood." Aurelia muttered, griping the nearest door frame as Health carried her down the empty streets. Everything that came into reach she grasped, anything to slow them down. She didn't want to go back to her rooms. She wanted to drink and dance and escape.

"And you! You think you are so good, don't you? You do realize what King Edgard Halvard will do to me, don't you?" Aurelia snapped, biting into Heath's shoulder as the man carried her into her cottage and attempted to sit her down on the bed.

"My father will not pay or sign a treaty for me. He will blame Liam, and refuse to aid them. Liam loves me, but the Sporina Islands hold little in terms of military force and jewels. They'll start a war that will obliterate them, and then King Halvard will make a public execution of me. You mark my words, you're trading my life in for a small amount of coin. Ask Draven! They will kill me just like they did my mother, and you couldn't even let me have any fun tonight."

With a quick yank, Aurelia pulled the jacket off and tossed it angrily in the blonde man's face. "Take your stupid jacket." She snapped, throwing a nearby candle stick at him.

At the sound of the door opening, Aurelia grabbed the candle holder, holding it as if it were a baseball bat. At the sight of Draven she narrowed her eyes, a hiccup escaping her parted lips.

"Oh it's just you." She seethed, tossing the brass holder down with a loud clang. "I suppose I don't need a weapon when I can't even touch you, not that I would ever want to." Aurelia quickly added, watching the prince's face carefully. She didn't bother covering her bare chest and instead turned, plopping down heavily into a small chair. The fire in the room was hot, regardless of the fact there seemed to be little wood on it. Aurelia leaned forward, tossing a new log on to the flames. When was the last time she'd attended to her own fire?

"And I'm not going to regret or hate myself in the morning. You think I'm going to be embarrassed because I am drunk and you saw my breast?" Aurelia laughed then, her voice taking on a sharper tone. "Oh poor Prince Draven, always the knight in shining armor. Worried that poor fragile Princess Aurelia will die of shame at her nude appearance and her vulgar truth telling. You're just jealous." Aurelia breathed out, glancing over to Draven.

She suddenly regretted throwing the candle holder down. Even if she couldn't touch him, she could have still threw it at his head. Now, away from all the music and dancing, Aurelia remembered how much she wanted to throttle him.

"You're just mad that I'm marrying Liam. Is that why you're doing this? I haven't seen you in a decade and then, on my way to my own wedding, you steal me?" Huffing out, Aurelia stood, grabbing the blanket from the small bed.

"Does your wife or girlfriend or whatever it is I'm sure you have know you've come to kidnap your ex childhood betrothed?" Aurelia questioned, spreading the blanket on the floor before sitting down on it.

Draven eyed the young boy as he captured Aurelia’s hand in his and led her off through the village. He chewed the inside of his cheek for a moment as he watched them and then Ezra pulled him out of his thoughts, her hand resting on his arm.

“Drave,” she murmured. “We need to be careful here. . . Don’t let your guard down.”

The Prince only nodded. He wasn’t sure what happened to all of them while they were under, but there was something that he saw. Something that unnerved him to his core, and judging by the look on both Beau and Heath’s expressions, he had a good feeling they saw something too. Releasing a sigh, Draven patted Ezra’s hand and began following after the boy and Aurelia deeper into the grove of glowing trees bathed in lamplight. Aurelia was far enough away from him to be considered safe, but he could still see her expression, bewildered by all the beauty and enchantment. It reminded him for a brief moment of the girl in the aviary all those years ago.

The group stopped before a large stone arch that rested in the middle of the grove and then turned, a smile on his face. “Don’t linger,” he smirked and then he and Aurelia moved through the arch, their bodies disappearing into a glistening haze.

“Gods,” Beau breathed behind Draven. “I hate these woods.”

The group remained quiet, but it was evident that they agreed with him before they pushed forward through the arch.

“Lady blessed!” Heath yowled once they made it through to the other side. Here the glowing trees nestled houses with their branches. Golden orbs lit the paths and twinkled above them all like warm stars. Heath cheered and sprinted toward a pen filled with four small animals. The man's body towered over the fence, but gently leaned over to stroke the strange, furry creature with his large palm. The creature emitted a docile chirp, then lifted its enormous brown eyes before clinging to Heath’s finger with its tiny paws. “What are you little one?” Heath purred.

“Heath, really? Be careful!” Beau reprimanded. “We don’t know what those things are!”

“Yes, I do.” Heath snorted. “I can feel it. They’re pure and innocent and small. Just like you Beau!” Beau’s face tightened and Draven couldn’t help the smirk growing on his face.

“Those are grimshka,” the woman from earlier says as she appears beside them. “Harmless really. Until they aren’t.”

“What is that supposed to mean?!” Ezra chimed in, brows furrowed.

“Don’t worry. Giant man's heart is no threat to their kind. He’s safe.” she glances over Ezra. “You, however, should keep your distance.” Ezra gawked and Draven couldn’t help but let out a laugh. With that, Ezra pushed past everyone, stalking off in annoyance.

Wooden buildings lined the path, each lit by beautiful glass orbs filled with fluttering golden flakes. The orbs illuminated the path to a small square.

“These lights line our perimeter,” the woman says. “Don’t wander past them.”

Meanwhile, wild music filled the air around them all. Draven recognized the horns and something like a lute, but had never heard some of the other instruments that sprung up around them. “Where is the music coming from?” he murmured, his fingers tapping absently against his thigh.

The woman’s lips smile widely as she twirls toward them, her hands flying to the sky. “The trees,” she drawled. “Some play their instruments along with them, but the trees, they are the true stars.” the woman then dropped her hands and put a hand over her heart. “My apologies, I haven’t formally introduced myself, my name is Nuri.”

Heath was the first to shake her hand, his eyes gleaming down at her. Nuri offered a soft smile in return and Draven raised an eyebrow at the interaction before shaking it off and looking off toward Aurelia who was being greeted by a woman with a beverage near the astoundingly large fire. 

“All of you, go on, enjoy and have fun. It seems you could all use it.” Nuri insisted before taking her leave to join the party herself. The group looked at each other and slowly moved deeper into the party. Draven stayed near the trees, eyeing them up as he tried to understand what Nuri meant by the trees creating music. Impossible. Draven raised a hand and let his palm skim the bark when the tree suddenly rippled like water, and the melody of the music around them changed. No longer an untamed clash, it now exuded a deeper song, like one crafted from a piano and harp. He quickly removed his hand and glanced around, the others blinking in shock.

“You have a lovely song,” a passing villager smiled at Draven.

“I have a lovely song?”

“Yes. The song that now plays— the song within you. No one knows a spirit like the trees. Come, dance to your song!” She insists and grabs Draven’s hand, dragging him out toward the others. He stumbled slightly and glanced around nervously, still unsure of this place. “Ah, you’re the type that needs a little liquid courage aren’t you?” she narrowed her eyes playfully and captured a passing drink tray, offering one off to him. 

“Come on Drave, let loose!” Heath’s voice booms toward them, a cup already in his hand and half drank. The more Draven looked around, the less controlled his group seemed to be and Ezra was nowhere in sight. He had to keep his head straight.

“Excuse me,” Draven muttered to his dance partner and moved off toward a large wooden bench outside the fire. He wanted to enjoy himself and drink and eat, but if they were all a drunken mess, there would be no one to make sure things didn’t go astray.

Limiting himself to one drink every so often, Draven swirled his cup, watching the contents swish around at the bottom. When he looked back up, Aurelia was staring at him, a wide smile on her face. She looked happy, like when they danced the night everything came crashing down and they were cursed. The memory made his stomach clench and he averted his gaze. The sound of stumbling footfalls approaching made him look back up to find Aurelia coming his way. Draven grimaced and stood from his seat, stepping away a few steps in case she came crashing into him and killed them both.

“You need to watch yourself, Aurelia,” Draven warned and then the two of them finally settled back toward the benches, seated far closer than what was comfortable, but still, safe. She was now looking at him as if he was a rare insect beneath a microscope and he studied her right back, trying to figure out what was going on in that head of hers. Then she spoke of his eyes. The same eyes that would always betray his identity. The eyes that nearly had him murdered as a babe, many convinced he was the product of witchcraft.

“You’ve always said that,” Draven murmured, turning toward the fire, watching the flames as they reached up into the night sky. The two of them sat basking in the warm golden glow. “I don’t know how you can be so comfortable here. Isn’t this all a bit too generous? Who am I kidding? I’m talking to you.” Understanding wasn’t her strong suit.

A moment of silence spread between them and he hoped she would just go back to dancing when she spoke beside him once more, causing him to turn toward her. It took a while for her question to register and he pursed his lips. What was she even saying? Did she even know? Did she really just call him pretty? Draven looked wearily down at his drink and then back to Aurelia. She knew the answer to that question, surely after all her years of being a princess she was aware that she was beautiful. If it wasn’t the men that he knew fawned over her, he had no doubt that others in the castle reassured her every second of every day.

Even if they hadn’t done that. They had mirrors. She’d seen herself plenty of times, though it only really required one glimpse to know how utterly breathtaking she was. No amount of bad blood or hate between them could make that untrue. 

Aurelia was single-handedly the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen in his entire life.

All these thoughts ravaged his mind, but it didn’t seem that Aurelia was sticking around for the answer. Instead, she was beginning to undress and his eyes widened. One of his hands rose to snatch up her wrist — to stop her, but he quickly recoiled, clenching his fingers into a fist when the realization of their curse returned to him.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Draven asked, glanced around at everyone then back to Aurelia. She didn’t halt her movements, she just let her dress flood around her feet and moved toward the other women who had little to wear themselves. As she began spewing drunken slurs his way, his brows knitted and he watched in a mixture of horror and shock as she pointed a finger at him and smiled, recalling the fact that she’d already had sex, not once, but several times, as though it was somehow him that she was punishing with the information. Weirdly enough. Something in his gut twisted.

His jaw clenched and he forced his gaze to remain on her face. He knew what it was like to live a life that he didn’t agree with, but he had no idea that there was even a sliver of Aurelia who could feel that way about being a princess. She never fought for the freedom of it. She just took it. And Draven? He lived a double life just to catch even a glimpse of a life of his own because once he was a certain age, getting into trouble was no longer a slap on the wrist, but a far more cruel punishment.

“You've made your point, now put your clothes back on,” Draven ordered and she only rolled her eyes at him. It took an ungodly amount of restraint to not grab hold of her. She was getting beneath his skin and there was nothing that he could do about it. Nothing he could do. Draven looked around, finding Beau having a chugging contest with some other men, Ezra was still nowhere to be found, and Heath was drunkenly flirting with Nuri. “Heath! A little help?!” He called over to the towering man. His dirty blonde hair was tied back into a bun, but it didn’t stop the curls from bouncing regardless as he made his way over. He rose a brow at Draven, confusion written on his face and then he turned to see the state that Aurelia was in, his hazel eyes widening into saucers.

“She’s cut off,” Draven muttered and Heath cleared his throat, nodding in agreement.

Nuri approached, a laugh bubbling out of her at the sight of Aurelia. “Ahh, she is having fun, prince, can you blame her?” 

Draven cut a glare toward Heath who sighed and shrugged off his jacket. It was huge in comparison to Aurelia and when he draped it around her, she practically drowned in it. “Come on, princess,” Heath grunted, lifting her up off the ground, and tossing her right over his shoulder like she was nothing more than a sack of potatoes. Nuri smiled at Heath warmly and offered to lead him to her room for the night.

“Lightweight?” Ezra said, approaching from behind Draven. He turned, looking her up and down.

“Where have you been?”

“Around.” was all she said, but that didn’t stop Draven from noticing her lips were swollen. Her green eyes sharpened as if she could tell he realized and he turned away, deciding not to comment on it.

“I’m going to check on her,” Draven muttered, following the path made by Heath and Nuri. He shoved open the door to her cottage and found Heath struggling to pacify the drunken Aurelia. There was a lot of swatting and Heath trying to keep his jacket around her.

“Hey,” Draven called over, rubbing his brow in frustration. “Stop, just stop, I’ve got it from here, thank you.” he approached a little closer, keeping several feet between himself and Aurelia. Heath frowned and backed off, Nuri grabbing him by the arm and nodding to him.

“We’ll be right outside, boss,” Heath assured and the two of them slipped outside.

Draven crossed his arms and leaned on the wall, shaking his head at Aurelia. “You’re going to wake up and hate yourself tomorrow. Would you just get into bed already?”

"Mother?" Aurelia asked, her eyes unfocused.

The woman in front of her did not turn at the sound of her call, her fingers busy with the work of gardening. The robe she wore pooled around her body in various shades of silver and ivory. Aurelia took a step closer, raising her hand to block the blinding brightness of the summer sun.

The flowers growing in the garden were beautiful, with various blooms of purples and whites. Aurelia's forehead wrinkled, her fingers reaching to touch the top of one of the buds.

"Hemlock," She whispered before moving to the next. "Lily of the Valley, Monkshood, Foxgloves."

Stumbling backward, Aurelia wiped her hands hastily across her dress, her eyes wide and confused.

"Mother, you're touching poisonous plants!" Aurelia exclaimed, watching with a look of shocked horror as her mother turned to peer at her, a plucked Lily in her slender fingers.

She knew it didn't matter, that her mother couldn't die twice, yet she still felt fear at the sight in front of her.

"Well, yes, darling, of course they are. This is my poison garden, after all." Her mother responded, a soft smile stretching across her beautifully aged face.

Aurelia wanted nothing more than to go to her, to lay across her lap, and yet she did not. It had been so long since she'd seen her mother in her dreams, years perhaps, and yet this time, it felt wrong.

"Why are you here?" Aurelia questioned, her gaze wondering from her mother's blue eyes to the rays of light that seemed to hold them captive in the death garden. She squinted, trying to make out the outline of an iron gate. For a moment, she pondered what lay beyond it. Her mother watched her, a curious expression cloaking her features.

"The question you should be asking is not why I am here, but why are you? You do not belong here, Aurelia, in the land between lands. Is it simply because you now sleep within arms reach of your doomed fate, or is it something more? I did not call to you, my love. This time, you called to me."

With a soft hum, her mother turned away, the pale shimmer of her priestess hat hiding her face away. Again, her hands began to work, pinching and pulling the dying blossoms away to make room for new ones. Aurelia hesitated momentarily, words falling into silence on the tip of her tongue. The gate loomed clearer now, the silhouette of trees beyond it.

"Is that the Arethusia Forest?" Aurelia muttered, her brows pushing together in confusion.

"Does the bear sleep forever if spring never comes?" Her mother asked, not bothering to lift her gaze. "The forest has been in hibernation, Aurelia. But the change of season has finally come. Even here, among those who can not see the land of the living, the forest moves. It's awake, and it's hungry."

__________

Aurelia sat up with a gasp, her hair sticky with sweat. For a heartbeat, the dream she was having pounded against her skull, and the next, it was gone. Like wisps of fog, she could not hold on to the details, the feelings being the only thing to linger: sorrow and fear.

"I feel hungover." She mumbled, running her hands through her tangled curls.

She couldn't remember where she was or how she'd gotten here. One moment, they'd all been standing in the woods, and the next, nothing. Draven, Aurelia thought with bitterness. He probably drugged me with breakfast. Angrer crawled under her skin as she stumbled to the cottage door and threw it open, fully expecting to find herself in the center of an Abingora war camp.

"If you think that you can just drug me and..." Trailing to a stop, Aurelia blinked, the scene in front of her taking shape.

They were in a village, little cottages lining cobbled stone streets. The moon hung lazily overhead, shadowed by the bright street lanterns and glowing fires. Somewhere, music echoed, the melody of flutes and fiddles calling out to Aurelia. Across the small street, Draven, Heath, and Beau seemed to be staring in the same bewilderment. When Esra stepped out beside her, Aurelia stiffened, not wanting to be hauled around by her elbow.

"What's going on?" She asked cautiously.

Standing right outside their small group, Aurelia's gaze followed the strange woman as she disappeared inside a nearby building. Bits of conversation caught Aurelia's attention, like the fact this place was apparently called Idizina. Secret or not, she felt like she should have heard about it. She knew every village within Barma, and she'd read nearly every book about Arethusia that existed in the Royal Library. Then there was the bit about how they were all somehow knocked unconscious and brought into the village against their wills. Still, regardless of how secret this place was or the fact she'd now been kidnapped twice, there had to be someone who could help her.

"Do you want to come and feast with us, Miss?" A small voice called out, snapping Aurelia from her thoughts.

A young boy with blonde shaggy hair and a toothy grin stood beside her, his green eyes wide and innocent. Aurelia had not heard him approached, and from the reaction of the rest of the group, they hadn't either. For a fraction of a second, Aurelia's eyes shot to Draven's, waiting for him to protest.

"You're all welcome, of course." The boy reassured, his gaze shifting towards Draven's as if he could sense what Aurelia was thinking.

"We do not get guests often, and tonight we're celebrating the full moon. There is mead and dancing. It will be much fun." The boy beamed, his tiny hand grasping Aurelia's. Left with little choice, she followed, the rest of the group in tow.

"When you say few guests," Aurelia began, keeping her voice low. "Do you mean once every month? Maybe you have someone who comes to trade or bring mail. I know your..." Aurelia wrinkled her forehead, stumbling for a word to call the woman from before. "Mayor said this place was secret. But how secret is secret?"

The sound of Heath clearing his throat made Aurelia's heart race, but she refused to glance back at him. Unless they wanted everyone in this village to know she was a prisoner, she knew she had them by their balls.

"Oh no, Miss, Idizina doesn't trade with the outside. Everything we need is here, in the village and the Arethusia Forest. Most people find that Idizina is a place that is hard to leave, with its abundance and generosity." The boy answered, his eyes sparkingly with delight.

For a moment, Aurelia thought he looked strange, but as quickly as the thought came, it was gone. By the time they finally reached the town center, she'd already forgotten what they'd been talking about.

Aurelia knew parties. She'd eaten many dinners, danced at many balls, and even attended Barma festivals in the fall and spring. However, this was something that would put her court's master of ceremonies to shame. A fire that reached for the stars blazed in front of them, and surrounding it, villagers danced, their laughter sweet and echoing. The smell of fresh bread and roasted meat called to Aurelia and her mouth watered as her eyes landed on the various fruits and vegetables laid out in crystal platters. In the crowd, she spotted a musician, the fiddle cradled gently in his crazy hands. The village women wore flowing dresses with angel trumpets and moonglories tucked into their hair. In seconds, they were swallowed by the party.

"Oh, I don't partake in alcohol," Aurelia explained politely to the older women in front of her.

She smelled of leaves and grass, and when she smiled, Aurelia thought her teeth seemed sharp and pointy. She knew she should find it odd, although she didn't.

"Of course you do, dear." The older woman whistled, handing her a tall glass full of purple wine.

Aurelia blinked into the crystal chalice, bringing it to her lips. The aroma was sweet, and before she could think, Aurelia took a long drink, and then another. It seemed, however, no matter how many sips she had, the chalice remained full.

She danced, her feet aching as she spun to the deranged tune of a flute and its player. Her laughter echoed loudly as she was passed from partner to partner, the faces blurring into one. At one point, she even found herself being twirled wildly by Beau, who drank straight from a large flagon full of mead.

"I don't think I have ever had so much fun!" Aurelia shouted over the music, watching with joy as she was spun into the arms of yet another person.

"Here, try the cloudberries." Her new dance partner insisted, pressing the orange fruit against Aurelia's mouth.

Instantly, she parted her lips for him, taking both the fruit and his finger into her mouth. The sweetness of the fruit caused Aurelia to moan, and she pulled away, licking the juice off the stranger's thumb. Over his shoulder, Aurelia's eyes caught Draven's, and she smiled, unsure of why she had ever disliked the other male.

When he didn't smile back, she pouted, suddenly no longer interested in the tall man and his candied fruit. She moved towards the Prince, who only moved further away from her.

"Draven!" Aurelia called, a small giggle escaping her in the form of a drunken hiccup.

"Why are you running from me?" She called, catching up with him just as they'd reached the benches outside the fire ring. She didn't touch the handsome prince, although she wanted to. There was a reason they couldn't touch, a reason that no matter how hard she tried to remember, she couldn't.

"You have such strange eyes." Aurelia pointed out, leaning closer to the prince so she could get a better look. Although there was an entire bench between them, she knew it was too close. She was too close.

"Everyone here has such strange eyes. And teeth. And I think one man had furry ears, but maybe I'm wrong. Maybe no one has anything strange. Maybe I'm strange."

Blinking with confusion, Aurelia glanced into her glass, staring at her own reflection in the wine.

"Am I as pretty as you are?" She asked, turning her attention back to Draven.

"Am I as pretty as they are?" Aurelia asked absent mindedly, nodding towards a nearby group of women who danced half clothed, their breast pale and full in the moon light. When they noticed her staring, they waved, beckoning her towards them. She wanted to be like that, free and nude.

By the time she understood what she was doing, Aurelia's corset laid discarded in the warm grass next to her dress. She kept her half slip on, the fabric stopping an inch below her navel. From there up, the only thing touching her body was the night air. She stared at the curve and swoop of her breast, watching with fascinating as goosebumps decorated her skin. Her nipples, the color of pastel pink roses, hardened and ached in the sudden coolness.

"Princesses aren't supposed to ever be nude." Aurelia mocked, taking a large gulp of wine. "Princesses are to wait until marriage for sex. Princesses must never get drunk, or laugh, or be happy." She continued, pointing her finger towards Draven in a swaying inebriated kind of way.

"But jokes on everyone because I," Aurelia exclaimed, leaning towards the prince, "have already been taken to bed. Many times. And I am currently nude, and I am very, very drunk."

Over the next two years, Abingora, Barma, and Sporina would often come together for holidays, important events, or meetings. While the Kings and Queens discussed the futures of their Kingdoms during these times, the relationships between the four royal children grew rather effortlessly.

Though Liam Graystone was the same age as Draven, their personalities couldn’t have been more different. It seemed that the more years that passed, the more Liam would succumb to his father's orders. He was more stuck up than the rest of them, often walking on eggshells so as to not disappoint his family – but mostly his father. Rosalyn Graystone on the other hand had somehow become more outspoken and resilient over the years. She was a year younger than the boys and one year older than Aurelia, but it was hard to tell that sometimes. The girl acted as though she was scared of nothing and Draven often found himself believing that she truly wasn’t.

Then there was sweet Aurelia. The four of them had become rather close-knit, but when it came down to it, the ones closest of the group were Draven and Aurelia. If it wasn’t the four of them causing trouble, it was Draven leading Aurelia around the castles in search of excitement and fun. Aurelia was the youngest of the group, and though she started off quiet and well-mannered, Draven was able to peel away layers of her over the years, exposing the wildest parts of the girl that dwelled deep inside the cookie-cutter armor her parents built around her. She turned out not to be a robot of a girl controlled by her parents, but a curious girl with dreams and thoughts that could send Draven into a world of wonderment. From speaking so little to captivating him in her conversation. The two were thick as thieves.

It had been weeks since Draven’s Kingdom had come to visit with Abingora. Over those few weeks, there was a lot of preparation being done. Draven was forced to learn how to dance properly, he had been tailored a suit and his hair had been cut from shaggy and spewn about his head to a cleaner cut, but nothing could hide the subtle wave that wove through his dark inky strands.

He was told closer to the date what all the preparation was for. The royals had finally agreed to pair their children and merge their Kingdoms and tonight's celebration would be for the signing of the deal.

“You need to be on your best behavior, my prince.” his mother said on the carriage ride.

“You will be on your best behavior. This night is too important.” Draven’s father cut in, his tone stern.

* * *

The Abingora Castle was gloriously lit up by sparkling chandeliers and hanging crystal light fixtures, an orchestra played at the furthest end of the vast ballroom and people dressed to the nines littered the floor, chatting, eating, and drinking to their heart's content. Smiles plastered many of their faces and dancing took place near the middle of the marbled floors. 

Reaching up, Draven tugged slightly at his royal blue tie. It made his neck itch and he felt a lot like a present wrapped up for presentation purposes only, he hated nothing more than being on display.

The boy stood in the ballroom beside his parents who chatted with those who approached them and his multi-toned eyes scanned the room for one face in particular. Then, the orchestra slowed and switched their melody causing heads to snap in the direction of a large curving staircase. Draven lowered his hand from his tie when he realized who was at the top of those stairs. Standing in front of her parents was Aurelia in a dress unlike any he’d seen her in before. Her hair was curled and woven effortlessly, small glittering gems placed strategically through the chocolate strands, and those big blue eyes didn’t take long before they were landing on his own.

The family descended the stairs and cheers erupted through the palace. The Scrymgeour’s approached, and Draven couldn’t focus on the words that their parents exchanged, he was too focused on Aurelia who came to a stop in front of him.

“You look beautiful, Sparrow,” he said quietly, though it wasn’t just her appearance that struck him, it was the way she held herself. Head held high, confidence roaring through her. Like she’d practiced that descent a thousand times over –and knowing her parents, she probably did. “Dance with me?” he asked after a while of his parents conversing and took her hand, leading her away.

Thanks to all his lessons, Draven was able to expertly lead Aurelia to the music, reminding himself often not to step on her toes as he did. The two of them danced for a while, smiling and laughing with one another until Draven stole a glance toward their parents. He made sure that they were all busy in conversation before leaning to whisper in her ear. She smelled divine, like sweet honeysuckle. 

“Follow me,” he said and released her from his arms, weaving through poofy dresses and men in suits to get to the corridor. Once the two of them were alone in the opulent castle, they took off running.

Though the Aviary was their favorite place to be alone in his castle, the gardens were their favorite place in Aurelia’s. The two of them came to a halt around the large stone water fountain. Draven plopped down on the edge, dipping his fingertips into the pooling water. It was cool to the touch.

“You know this party is for us, right?” he said, suddenly filling the silence. “I guess that means you don’t have to marry Liam.” Draven licked his lips and watched as she sat beside him, watching as he skimmed the water absently. “Don’t you think it’s sort of weird? You know, how our parents don’t seem to care what we want?” The Prince thought over his words for a minute and stiffened, removing his hand from the water. “Not that I don’t want to marry you — I mean, I—” he shook his head, deciding it might be better if he just stopped talking.

Then her warm hand slid over his own and he looked at her carefully. The small smile that formed on her lips was enough to surrender his heart to her and without thinking, Draven raised his free hand to her cheek softly, and he leaned in, pressing his lips to her own.

Her lips were soft and warm against his own and he savored the feeling, but it was quickly ruined when a blood-curdling scream cut through the air.

Draven’s gaze turned cold as ice as he stared down Aurelia. Her attitude was one thing for him to put up with, but her insults were another thing entirely. Especially when she was spewing false information. “Just because you’re okay being a slave to a life that isn’t even your own doesn’t mean that I had to. And if I remember correctly, you were right there with me for most of that trouble, only, I never forced you to be.” He didn’t bother commenting on the strike at his father. He knew the truth and trying to convince Aurelia of it was just as pointless as him pretending he wanted to be a Prince.

“You must be fun at parties,” Esra hissed out, shoving Aurelia as she tugged herself away to sit on the ground. Heath snorted at that comment and turned back toward Draven.

“As much as I hate to admit it, we do need to find some shelter, boss. It’s getting cold as fuck out here.”

* * *

The group was quick to come across a cave, and although in these woods it probably wasn’t the smartest decision, it was the only one that would keep them alive through the cold night chill and it kept their fire contained from the eyes of others for the most part. They all made sure that the cave was unoccupied before setting up a fire and gathering what they had with them. They went over all their supplies and decided how they would go about dispersing everything evenly.

“This leg has just about as much meat on its bone as Beau does,” Heath groaned, studying the squirrel leg. 

“Not everyone can look like they consumed their sibling in the womb,” Beau retorted, earning a laugh from Draven and Esra.

While the boys bickered, Esra glanced toward Aurelia who spoke and then rolled her eyes, tossing the remains of the charred bone into the fire, wiping her hands on her pants. “Look Barmanian,” she leaned back on the heels of her palms. “I don’t know what you two have against each other, and quite frankly, I don’t care, but if you’re looking for pity, you’re barking up the wrong tree. If it wasn’t for Draven, none of us would be alive. Since he’s come into our lives, we have been better off than we have ever been, and judging by the sound of things, you have a problem with his father. Not him.” Esra stared at Aurelia long and hard before leaning forward once again, tearing her gaze from the girl to look over Draven and the others. “Hey!” she growled out when she noticed the boys passing around a cantine. 

“It’s just water,” Heath waved her off and Draven’s lips twisted into a smirk as he took a swig, swallowing hard.

“Yeah, and you’re my type. Hand it over.” Esra snapped and Draven handed the cantine full of whiskey.

Beau shook his head at the group and turned toward Aurelia who hadn’t touched a thing. He sighed and ripped a piece of the squirrel that was left over the fire, handing it to her. “Eat. It helps with the cold.” He waited for her to take it before turning back toward the fire.

* * *

The morning came quickly and the warmth of the fire was quickly missed by the group as they began their trek through the forest once more. They had walked for what felt like several miles when smoke could be seen up ahead through the trees.

“You see that?” Draven murmured to the others who nodded slowly.

“Can we trust it?” Beau came to a stop and Draven looked over his shoulder at him.

“We’ll scope it out first, if it’s bad and they don’t have many men, we can probably take it over and gather more supplies and food.”

“And if they have too many men?” Esra countered.

“Then we keep going.”

* * *

They moved quietly toward the camp and the closer that they approached, the more sounds that could be heard, and oddly enough, he was pretty sure that he could hear music and laughter. The brush offered them some shelter from watchful eyes and they moved stealthily until Draven could get a good look at the camp. He shoved some branches out of his view and took in the scene. There were so many people, but they didn’t look armed. They were just like villagers out in the woods and small cottages were placed sporadically. It was larger than he anticipated it being too. It was the size of a small town and he couldn’t see the other end of it. He took a step forward and then something filled his nose. It smelled sweet. Draven snapped his head to look at the others and then one by one they all collapsed to the ground, Draven doing the same. His vision went black.

Draven’s eyes slowly opened, his head a foggy mess as he tried to identify where he was. He wasn’t cold anymore, and when he blinked his vision back he found he was sitting inside a small house.

“What?” he croaked out and rubbed his face when a woman spoke, causing him to nearly fall from his chair.

“We didn’t want to cause a commotion so, it was really best that we brought you into our village this way, I do apologize.” the woman shrugged.

“Where am I? What did you do?”

“This is Idizina, home to the Idunns. Safe Haven of the forest. Arethusia’s Secret Place. We sensed your group approaching a while ago. Don’t worry Prince, your friends are here too, they are safe.”

“How do you know who I am? Where are they?” Draven didn’t wait for any answers. Though his head still felt foggy from whatever magic was used on him. The Prince rose from his seat on wobbling legs and forced them to carry him toward the door. He shoved it open and what used to be daylight when they approached the village was now darkness. Stars glistened brightly in the sky. He could have sworn only a few minutes had passed. 

To the left, Heath barged out of a doorway and landed with a thud on the cobbles. His eyes were squeezed shut, and his hands rubbed at them before standing. Beau came next out of a different cottage, he tripped and wobbled for a moment or two until his eyes spy Draven.

“What the hell happened?!” The three men share a blank stare before Draven finally speaks.

“Is everyone okay? Where are the girls?” Before anyone can answer, two more cottages open, and first comes Esra who is stiff moving, and silent as she emerges. Draven’s eyes lock onto Aurelia who seems disoriented as she steps out.

“We need to get out of here,” Heath mutters just as the woman from his cottage emerges.

“This is the safest part of the forest you will be seeing, especially at night. I’d advise against leaving right now. We are not going to harm you, not unless it’s necessary. At least wait until morning to leave, until then, enjoy yourselves.” she makes an open gesture with her hands toward the village full of people who glance at them all as they pass. Lights twinkle all around them and there is even music that can be heard, but it doesn’t come from a band that Draven can see. The group slowly moves closer together before Draven nods slowly to the woman and she takes her leave.

“We’re so fucked,” Esra mutters.

.

"They're children, Canute. What do you expect of them? Don't you remember being young? Your father treated you just like Graystone does his son. You were miserable." Aurelia's mother shot back, hints of amusement and kindness in her voice.

"Prince Liam will be a fine ruler one day," The king sighed, his voice growing quieter. "I know that you're set on connecting Barma with Abingora, but at the expense of our child? We have been trying for years now for more heirs Adelgunde and we have been unsuccessful. Aurelia is our future, the only future, and marrying her off to some troubled boy who was inappropriately touching her in a servant's closet is unacceptable."

In the next room, Aurelia lay awake, staring up at the ceiling as her parents discussed her and her friends. Her parents, who both thought she was asleep, didn't hear as the young girl sat up and crept across the dimly lit room. The hallway outside was dark and Aurelia slipped into it without fear. 

○○○○

"My father doesn't like you," Aurelia stated, nibbling on the crackers in front of her.

She sat, crisscrossed apple sauce on Draven's bed, an assortment of fruit and cheese in front of her. It had been several hours since she'd left her bedroom and she had little desire to go back. 

"He says that you are troubled and he likes Liam." Rolling her eyes, Aurelia glanced at Draven. "But my mother, she likes you." 

Sitting the cracker down, she leaned forward, her small freckled face now directly in front of the prince. This close, Aurelia could see the flakes of blue and green that made up Draven's eyes. Each one unique, each one as beautiful as the paintings in her family castle back home. 

"And I? I like you too." She whispered, her voice full of a certain seriousness rarely found in children. "So let's make a pack. If I ever have to marry Liam, you'll save me from that life of dread and boredom." 

________________

They were all dead, her guards. Some of them she had known for years, others only for this particular trip. It didn't matter if she knew their names or all their faces. They were Barmanians. Flashes of Leon's face crowded Aurelia's thoughts like lighting in a tornado. He had been unconscious in front of her carriage. He had been left behind, dead or alive, for the forest to obliterate. Draven was everything Aurelia remembered, and his group of ruffians was no better. Low life, scumbag, murders. Tears threatened her eyes, and she swallowed them down, the taste leaving burns in her throat.

At the mention of the Arethusia Forest from Draven's lips, Aurelia turned in Esra's grip, bitterness contorting her features into that of an angry hawk. Anger was better than the alternative. Anger meant she still had some dignity left.

"It was not the Arethusia Forest, you uneducated daft prince. It was Caligo, a deity that lives in the forest, and you would know that if you'd ever paid attention to a single tutor growing up instead of running off to cause trouble. I see some of us never mature. It surprises me that you're a murderer, but then again, like father like son, yes?"

Blinking, Aurelia forced her gaze away from Draven and back to the woman who held her elbow with enough force to leave bruises. 

"Is it essential to hold me like this? Look around you. My entire fleet of guards and horses is gone. We are literally miles from the path, and I hate to have to be the one to explain this, but you'll soon find out that the Arethusia Forest shifts. I'll dumb it down for your worthless bandit ears. We. Are. Lost. I'm not going anywhere. We're not going anywhere. We'll be lucky if we all don't end up dead." 

Pushing her tied arms away, Aurelia sat, the rope on her ankles rubbing painfully into her pale skin. She didn't care if she now had an entire group of people angry with her. She didn't care if she was at the mercy of men with stupid names like Heath or Beau. She wasn't going to apologize for speaking her mind, not here. Not around a bunch of peasant criminals whose opinions did not amount to anything. Not when she probably had less than twenty-four hours to live. They may have survived Caligo, but Aurelia knew there were much worse things here.

"We should look for shelter before it gets too late. The forest gets nasty at night." 

She muttered, allowing her forehead to rest on her knees.

___

The cave was cold. Although a roaring fire now occupied most of the dome-shaped space, the chill was bone-deep. Aurelia sat with her back against a petrified log, the mouth of the cave in front of her. Outside, the wind whipped, the sounds of unknown animals echoing. 

Her entire life, she'd heard stories about Arethusia, whispered bedtime tales from her mother about gods and goddesses who thrived in the magic woods. Together, they both blessed and cursed the land so that no human could ever obtain it as theirs. Aurelia believed the legends, of course, but she'd also thought that the forest had fallen into a deep sleep. She had taken this route so many times over the years, and nothing. She'd never experienced anything close to magic. If she'd seen the destruction of Caligo, she would have never stepped foot here again. If she had trained as a seer like her mother once wanted her to, maybe she could have seen this coming. Maybe then, Leon would still be alive, and she would have some kind of chance of surviving this entire ordeal. 

Reaching up, Aurelia quickly brushed the tears from her face. All evening, she had fought the urge to lay down and sob. It didn't help that she was hungry, not that hunger was anything new. As the perfect daughter, Aurelia required the ideal figure. It meant she was on a constant diet, often skipping meals and avoiding anything with starch. But this hunger was a different kind. She'd burnt too many calories today, and her unused muscles ached. When was the last time she'd walked so much? 

Out of the corner of her eyes Aurelia watched Draven. She studied the way he interacted with the group around him. He wasn't their supreme ruler, not like a prince with his court, and yet it was painfully obvious he held the most authority. Just like he was once the leader of her, Liam, and Rosalyn. 

"I once followed him too." Aurelia sighed, eyeing Esra as the girl ate the charred leg of some poor animal.

"And look what it got me. Cursed with a dead mother. Oh, and kidnapped. You can add kidnapped to that list." 

The Great Hall was brightly lit by crystal chandeliers hanging from the high vaulted ceilings of the Abingora castle. The hall had been decorated with tapestries and banners displaying the Kingdom’s coat of arms — a large skull of a stag ringed by an intricate gold circle, the backdrop adorning a golden compass. The Halvard’s, Graystone’s, and Scrymgeour’s were gathered around a long stretched table made up of a polished walnut wood. The table was embellished by a variety of silver platters, all covered by their cloche as they were presented to the royal families. Despite not being uncovered yet, Draven could smell the various foods beginning to fill the air from the opening and closing kitchen doors. His mouth watered in anticipation.

The parents had been placed at the opposite end of the table than the children, their chatter becoming lost to Draven as he focused on what was in front of him instead. Across the table, Aurelia sat beside Liam while his sister sat at Draven’s left. Liam was sitting upright, his face almost weary as he shot glances toward his father who Draven found would often scold Liam for not sitting correctly, or not using the right fork. Meanwhile, Rosalyn was treated quite the opposite. Unlike Aurelia, when the platters were uncovered and exposed for all to dine upon, everyone began dishing their plates, Rosalyn nearly dove over Draven’s lap to snag a piece of blackened salmon. Draven waited for her to finish filling her plate to grab himself a bit of mutton. When his eyes landed back on Aurelia she had yet to put a single thing on her plate, her eyes watching everyone else as if to serve herself last. 

“Aren’t you going to eat?” Draven asked and when she glanced at his plate quietly, he blinked and when he looked toward where the lamb once sat, he found there was none left. Without thinking, Draven stabbed one of the two pieces of lamb on his plate. “This is my favorite,” he said to her as he set the piece onto her plate for her. When he looked back up at her, a small smile seemed to form on her face and he watched as she cut off a piece and popped it into her mouth. He could see when the flavors hit her. The mixture of nutmeg, rosemary, and coriander blended into the perfect mixture of sweet and savory. The chef always made it that way, just for Draven. When her wide crystal-colored eyes rose to meet his as she swallowed he smiled broadly. “I knew you’d like it, Little Sparrow.” 

Rosalyn and Liam had just watched the two of them curiously. Liam looked shocked that Draven would do something so out of the ordinary such as putting something on another person's plate in front of his parents, but they were too busy having a conversation and in all honesty, Draven didn’t care if he disappointed his parents. Rosalyn on the other hand just wanted to be included as she perked up.

“Aurelia, you must try the chocolate cream pie!” she beamed, pointing down the table. The girl still had evidence of the pie on the bow of her lips. Draven and Aurelia must have noticed at the same time, the two of them smirking, attempting to contain their laughter.

* * *

After the dinner, the servants entered, ready to collect the children to ready them for bed. The four of them rose from the table and headed out of the Great Hall and into the corridor of the castle. Loretta placed her palm against Draven’s back as she stopped to speak to the other ladies in waiting. The Prince took advantage of the opportunity at hand and glanced over the others, a mischievous look gleaming in his multi-toned eyes.

“Run!” Draven encouraged loudly before taking off down the hall. He didn’t look back as he ran, but he could hear the footsteps of his friends as one by one they trailed after them. Rosalyn had squealed with excitement as she sprinted after him and then Aurelia was quick on her heels. After a moment of hesitation, even nervous Liam was running after them. The noblewomen were yelling after them, exasperation clear in their voices as they disappeared around a corner.

As they went through the halls, they had almost made it to the entrance doors when some guards narrowed their eyes at the children. Draven skidded to a stop, his shoes slipping on the marble floors. Aurelia had slammed into his back and he grabbed her, holding her up before he pointed back the way they went. Rosalyn and Liam were quick to open up a door and hide inside a room. Draven could hear the noblewomen coming from the other direction and was quick to grab Aurelia’s hand, steering her behind him into a broom closet. He closed the door, leaving the two of them in a dark room where the only light was from the hallway outside entering through the cracks in the old wood door. 

Draven peered through the keyhole, a grin on his lips, his breaths coming in pants as he watched the adults scurry around outside. Tipping his head back, he turned toward Aurelia who had a mixture of shock and excitement written on her expression. 

“Was that fun, Sparrow?” he asked, his raven hair a tousled mess atop his head. As he looked at her, he found that he couldn’t look away. He was infatuated with the way she secretly craved adventure. He loved that he could give that to her. Reaching out, Draven brushed stray hairs from her face and their eyes locked. Something inside of him burned when she stared at him. Like some cold piece of him was thawing in her presence. 

The door to the broom closet swung open, letting the light drown them and Draven blinked, his head whipping toward a fuming Loretta.

“The King just needs her, right? Not her tongue.” Esra hissed, her knuckles white around the hilt of her hatchet which she held to Aurelia’s throat.

Draven lifted his gaze toward Esra, something close to consideration glistened in his gaze before he returned his attention to the Princess. “She just likes to listen to herself talk,” he muttered and rose from his crouched position. “Tie her up, and if you feel it necessary, gag her,” Drave ordered and Heath moved forward to help Esra drag the girl up to her feet. 

The tree of a man held Aurelia like she was no more than a small mouse beneath a lion's paw. Esra was quick to bind her wrists and ankles. Not to Draven’s surprise, Esra had even torn a piece of her tunic off, stuffing the fabric into the princess's mouth with a smug look on her face.

“Much better.” Esra sneered.

“The others are waiting for us at camp. We’ll rest there for the night and get a move on in the morning.” 

“This was a lot easier than I anticipated, Barmanians really are gutless, you should have seen how one of them started screaming like a little girl when he saw me.” Heath whistled as he dragged Aurelia along with them.

“They’re many things,” Draven muttered bleakly as he shoved down the memories of his past as best he could.

“Oh! Just a second,” Heath suddenly said and the others didn’t have to guess what the burly man was up to. Esra took hold of Aurelia once more while Heath fled toward the carriage once more, this time to severe the reigns holding the horses. He patted one of them on the rear softly. “Go on,” he encouraged and the two of them fled down the path together.

Heath rejoined the group and without another word, they descended deeper into the woods as the sun began setting.

* * *

The sun was quickly replaced by the moon and the group had successfully ventured back to camp with their package for the King. Heath had placed Aurelia against a large tree, tying her around her torso to it. The large man had removed the gag from her mouth with a curt warning.

Several people roamed about, feeding the horses, tending to fires, and cooking up food. Draven was sat upon a large stump, a horn of ale in hand as he soaked in the firelight.

“She’s worth a lot of money,” 

The voice beside him belonged to Beau who was looking over at the Princess. Draven took a large swallow of ale, nodding. He only let his eyes graze over Aurelia briefly, finding her glaring over at him. He was unfazed by the expression, continuing to take another drink for good measure.

“DRAVEN!” a voice cut through the trees, followed by the rustling of leaves and brush as a man came through the forest. It was a man by the name of Callum. His face was blanched of any color and sweat beaded his forehead as he stumbled into the clearing.

Draven was on his feet, crossing the distance. He grabbed Callum by the arm, brows furrowing. “What? What is it?”

A hard swallow and gasp of air, “Something— Something’s out there!” 

“Something? Define something.” Beau pressed, the worry clear in his voice. He was the stressor of the group.

“Shut up, Beau! Let him speak!” Heath swatted Beau and Callum caught his breath, pointing behind him.

“It’s huge, like a cloud or mist, it’s killing them!” 

Draven’s gut twisted, the fear on his friend's face was genuine, but the words he was saying made no sense to the Prince. Turning, Draven whistled for a crew to be collected, and horses were gathered up, riders mounting them swiftly.

“N-NO!” Callum waved his hands. “Don’t go! We need to run!” he urged, but Draven didn’t listen as he mounted Sargent. It wasn’t that he didn’t believe him, but the odds of a terrifying mist killing people were less likely than Callum eating the wrong sort of berry and suffering from a fever dream.

Sargent had just galloped in the direction of the team that had been on watch further through the trees when the sounds of screams filled the air, raising every hair on his body. Draven tugged the reigns, halting Sargent as he listened and he could feel the rumble of the earth even while atop his horse. Sargent whinnied, jerking his head back, ears pinned against his skull. Something was out there.

And then he saw it.

Like a curtain being pulled across the world, a thick black wall of smoke came hurdling toward them. Draven’s eyes drank in the darkness, his heart thumping as he watched men sprinting for their lives, only to be swallowed and spit out by the fog. Blood and bones splattered and Draven yelled for his men to turn back, his heel digging into Sargent’s flank as they began racing back through the trees to warn the camp. 

When he could see them, he yelled at the top of his lungs, setting everything into motion.

“RUN! EVERYONE GET OUT OF HERE! NOW!” he ordered and heads snapped in their direction.

Reentering the camp, Draven met eyes with Esra who was stiff with anticipation and then she was running, her hatch in hand and she swung it against the tree, freeing Aurelia only to grab her again, dragging her toward a horse. The two of them mounted and then Heath was on another. Beau was nowhere to be seen through the chaos of running figures in the camp and the mist was closing in, the rumble louder and heavier against the earth.

Draven pushed Sargent to move faster, eyes darting everywhere as people were grabbed by the darkness left and right. Esra and Aurelia were gone and at the last minute, Draven watched as Heath raced past Beau, arm stretched out as he hooked the smaller male around the gut, hauling him atop his horse.

* * *

They ran until their horses reached their limit. The fog was nowhere to be seen and the camp had been obliterated along with their people. Draven brought Sargent to a halt in a clearing, the others coming up around him as they dismounted the exhausted stallions.

“What the hell was that?” Esra looked between everyone, her hand grasping Aurelia tightly and Beau looked as though he was seconds away from puking his guts out.

“The Arethusia forest,” Draven said hoarsely.

TWELVE YEAERS EARLIER

Aurelia liked the summer estate with its sun-bleached walls and glass ceilings. It wasn't lavishly decorated like her father's palace, but as a child, the concept of material things was beyond her comprehension. To Aurelia, the summer estate was a place where she had fewer guards and more sunshine. It was, in nearly every way, the only place she felt like a normal girl.

"Aurelia, you're slouching again." King Canute snapped, an icy glare contorting his features as he stared down at his ten-year-old daughter.

"The Halvard's are already here and if they see you walking like that, what will they think of me? Now go, make yourself scarce." Her father snapped, his attention already shifting.

Aurelia blinked, the words nor tone hurting her feelings. The coldness in both his voice and mannerism was normal to her. If her father was not correcting her behaviors, he was simply pushing her out of his sight. 

Aurelia wasn't sure why her father had suddenly become so focused on the Halvards. Although her family had always been friends with the Graystones, she couldn't place the sudden urgency her father seemed to have towards this new family and their son, Prince Draven. Her mother, Aurelia knew, was quite fond of this rival kingdom. She even mentioned the possibility of her marrying Prince Draven instead of Prince Liam. To Aurelia, the entire ordeal of marriage was strange and she secretly despised when her parents dragged on about the subject. 

"Yes, Father." Aurelia obeyed, her delicate feet already taking her down the hall and away from her parents and guard.

The polished marble was slick beneath her silk slippers and the moment Aurelia was out of sight she yanked the shoes loose, tossing them to the side. Without hesitation, she pulled her stockings off and stepped out of the heavy layer skirts that constricted her movements. How was she going to explore if she had to haul her weight in fabric around with her? 

"It's not polite to stare," Aurelia stated, her gaze flickering to the young figure hiding in the shadowed doorway.

"My father would say it is not very Prince-like to stand in the dark and spy. He would also say it's not very polite for Princesses to go without stockings, but it's too hot and he's not here to scold me. So, I guess it's okay this time." Aurelia added, watching as Prince Draven stepped into the bright hallway.

For the third time in her life, Aurelia stared at the older boy with the mitch-matched eyes. She felt a type of curiosity she couldn't place towards him, like a tug from an invisible line. 

"You didn't talk to me during the last party. I thought.. maybe you would tell me more about the birds, but instead, you played with Rosalyn."

Aurelia pouted, glancing over her shoulder to double-check that the hall was still empty before shoving her clothes behind a cabinet. 

"I know she is eleven, but I am very mature for a ten-year-old. It hurt my feelings. Then, I got saddled with Liam who did nothing but hush me to be quiet every time I tried to tell him stories about the forest. It made for a rather dreadful night." Aurelia huffed, heading towards the courtyard doors.

"He didn't even want to hear about the thieves. My maid told me there is a pack of thieves that live in the woods, who steal and give to the poor. They also fight bad guys who try to hurt little kids and animals."

Turning to look at him, Aurelia smiled, the light from the now open door highlighting the smile on her tiny face.

"I'll forgive you for ignoring me if you want me to tell you about them."

______________

PRESENT DAY

_______________

Aurelia owned every color of silk ribbon. Pastels of pink and indigo,  beautiful swirls of color that screamed wealth and prestige. She packed them all carefully, color-categorizing each strip from light to dark. Perfection, and she would accept nothing less of it. If she was going to marry Prince Liam, she was going to do it with the finest cloth. The Islands were a lot of things, but highly fashionable was not one of them. 

"You can not come with me, at least not yet." Aurelia cooed over to the cinnamon canary perched on her window seal.

The small brownish-red bird tilted his head, watching the princess with a complex expression that made Aurelia feel guilty. In the seven years since she'd first found Peanut, this would be the longest she had ever spent away from him.

"It's going to take several weeks to reach the Islands. You'll be stuck in your cage in a tiny carriage if I bring you this trip. We are traveling by land instead of sea." She continued, rubbing the feathers across the small bird's cheeks before dropping a handful of seeds into a golden dish.

"Liam has sworn he will send me on one of his ships as soon as the season changes. A few months from now and you'll be bathing in tropical waters like the royalty you are."

Liam. The thought alone curled the corner of Aurelia's mouth up and she flushed, picturing the blonde-haired Prince. He had grown into someone easy to look at, with his lean muscles and charming grin. Aurelia spent many holidays sneaking kisses and hidden touches between them, keeping their relationship a well-hidden secret. When he sent word of his proposal, her father didn't hesitate before agreeing. It was, after all, a way to tie their kingdoms into a permanent treaty. What he didn't know, however, was how involved the pair was with each other. How in love Aurelia was. She doubted he'd agree with any marriage if he truly knew their secrets. If he knew they'd been sleeping together for nearly four years.

Outside in the hall, the guards shifted and Aurelia sighed, knowing it was time to go. With one final look around the room, she shut the trunk, straightened her dress, and walked out with her head held high. She was Princesses of Barma and no one here was going to forget it.

●●●

If Aurelia's dream, she was weightless. She floated in between the living and the dead, stuck forever in a pool of lukewarm water. Attached to her chest, like a growth that belonged, was a string of beautiful gold. She pulled, watching with bewilderment as the string vibrated into a beautiful symphony. She followed it, curiosity getting the better of her. There, in the blissful nothingness, she could just make out a figure. She pulled the string again, once, twice, three times. 

Aurelia jerked awake as the carriage came to an abrupt stop. Outside, guards shouted to themselves, and Aurelia pulled the curtains to the side to stare out into the heavily wooded area. Beside her Leon, her personal guard, did the same.

"Looks like a tree." The older man grunted, closing the curtain again. In the last decade Leon had been beside Aurelia, she'd grown fond of him. He was like an uncle to her, and he had been part of her marriage arrangement. She got to keep Leon and he got double paid from both courts. It was a situation in which everyone won.

"This is why I tried to convince your father to wait before sending you to the Sporina Islands. The Arethusia Forest is unpredictable. Our entire trip through them will probably be just like this if not worse. At this rate, it'll take us a month to get there." 

Sighing, Leon opened the door, turning to glance at Aurelia. "Stay here." He commanded before stepping out and disappearing around the carriage.

A moment later the door opened again and Aurelia didn't bother to look back to Leon. 

"Well, that was quick." She whistled, her voice fading out as rough hands reached her.

In one quick motion, Aurelia was yanked from the velvet seat like she was nothing but a sack of potatoes. Red hair blurred her vision and she screamed out, her teeth crunching down on a shoulder bone. Her foot connected with something heavy and Aurelia's eyes grew wide as she looked at the unconscious body of Leon. Was he breathing? Was that blood? Was he dead?

Like an animal being torn from its cage, Aurelia began to thrash. Her heart pounded in her ears and she twisted from the grasp of her captor. Without hesitation she ran, diving through the brush of the woods as gracefully as a deer running from a wolf. This isn't happening, she thought in pure terror, none of this is real.

Behind her, the sounds of leaves and branches haunted her hearing. She did not notice the hooded figure ahead and as the home remedied rope shot out in front of her, she tumbled. 

Shit, shit, shit! 

She rolled, sticks and rocks scratching into her bare arms, and began to scramble up only to be plowed down again by the woman from the carriage. A groan rushed from her lungs and she went limp, staring coldly at the woman who now held a blade to her throat.

Reluctantly, Aurelia tore her eyes from the redhead and stared up at the hooded figure whose cloak had ended her escape. Even from their distance, she knew. She would always know, with eyes like that. 

Pain. Fear. Betrayal. Hatred.

So many feelings, each one worse than the other flooded through her mind. Aurelia masked them all as quickly as they surfaced. She refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing what his presence did. She refused to allow the prince to know what fear and loathing she held for him, especially when she had once followed him around with such admiration.

"I believe I would remember eyes as ugly as those. I thought Barma tossed the malformed babes to the pigs, how did you survive? The tit of a sow?" She asked bitterly, forgetting for a moment she was being held down by a knife.

The sharp sting of metal on flesh brought her back to reality and Aurelia swallowed, tearing her eyes back to the redhead. 

"My apologies, is he your boyfriend or are you fucking all of these goonies?" 

“I’ll need you to better sit still m’lord,” Loretta, one of the many servants, pleaded.

“Do I have to wear this tie?” Draven huffed out, his fingers digging into the knot that was secured around his neck. Dressing up was one of his least favorite parts about being the Prince.

“I’m afraid so,” Loretta cooed, smoothing out the lapels of his jacket. “You look rather dashing, Prince Draven. I think the Princess will think so too,” she smiled, bringing forth the evidence of her crow's feet. Draven stood from the plush chair in his chambers and looked at himself in the mirror briefly. A boy he didn’t recognize looked back at him.

“May I go now?” Draven said, his voice much quieter now. Loretta tried to hide the frown that wanted to pull at her thin lips, but she nodded watching after him as he escaped into the corridors of the castle.

* * *

Draven had narrowly escaped his nagging hen of a mother and was now making his way to find the only other children he really knew. They had arrived with their family only a few days earlier. A brother and sister. Prince Liam and Princess Rosalyn Graystone. They were much better company than his mother who he knew would just pester with him about impressing the princess and being on his best behavior when she arrived with her family. He wasn’t interested in any princess or marriage or anything aside from being a child. 

Rounding a corner, Draven spotted the two siblings waiting for him, shoving each other as they quietly bickered. Rosalyn perked up when she noticed Draven and clasped her hands in front of her leaping for joy. Liam rolled his eyes at his sister but offered Draven a knowing grin.

“Alright master lock-picker, show us your tricks!” Rosalyn trilled and Liam flicked her arm making her eyebrows lower at him in annoyance.

“Be quiet!” Liam scolded and Draven smirked faintly, digging into his pockets for the picks. Once they were in hand, he stepped up to the large mahogany door with spirals and the outline of trees carved into it. With a deep breath, the Prince dove in, beginning to work at the locks to his favorite room in the entire castle.

“Oh. Hello!” Rosalyn said after a minute of silence and caused both boys to snap their heads up from the door to find a young girl standing at the end of the hall, curiosity on her face. She looked about their age, and Draven had nearly dropped the pick in his hand at the sight of her. She was beautiful and there was something oddly familiar about her. A familiarity that he’d never felt before.

“You must be Princess Aurelia,” Rosalyn smiled, waving her over. “I’m Princess Rosalyn and this is my brother, Prince Liam.” Draven had regained his composure, forcing himself back to breaking into the room. Rosalyn still pointed her thumb at him though as she introduced him. “This is Prince Draven. He’s going to show us the Aviary!”

A click rang through the hall and Draven smiled widely, grabbing the knob and turning it. “I’m in.” He confirmed and pushed the door open, looking over all of them. “Come on, and be careful, some of these birds are curious and kind, but others. . . others don’t always take kindly to visitors,” he explained as they all stepped inside and shut the door behind them.

The sound of birds singing filled the air around them and Draven opened up the gate to the Aviary which was filled with various trees and foliage. The ground became dirt and the sky could be seen above. Rosalyn and Liam took off down one of the paths laughing and Draven watched before glancing over at Aurelia who seemed lost. “Wanna see something cool?” he asked and when she nodded he took her hand and led her through the brush. As they went deeper, he crouched down behind the large hanging leaves of a tree, releasing Aurelia’s hand. 

“Keep your eyes right there,” he whispered softly, pointing slowly toward a large rock nestled against a small pond. The sun seemed to shine its rays down directly onto the rock and after a while of sitting in silence, they were graced by a visitor. “That’s her. The Ebony Sparrow” he whispered, his eyes locked onto the jet-black sparrow with adoration, the only splotch of color on the bird was the golden pinstripe lining from the tip of its tail to the start of its beak. “She’s the rarest bird in Abingora. Maybe the last of her kind. And I caught her.” he explained and watched as she bathed in the pond. “She’s beautiful isn’t she?” he asked the Princess and when he turned to look at her, he felt his breath hitch as she studied the bird with such wonderment in her eyes. Utterly beautiful and rare.

“You actually remind me of her.” he smiled.

Nine broad, round towers built for defense were connected by high, heavy walls made of brown chipped stone. Moss and vines tangled along the stone, coiling around the towers and castle like veins. Vast and opulent windows were scattered here and there across the walls in an asymmetric pattern, along with large crenelations for Abingora’s archers and artillery.

At the entrance, a sizable gate was complimented by colossal metal doors and various artillery guards. The entrance to the castle was built at the edges of the Talay Sea shoreline. Large boulders littered the rolling fields outside the castle and tended dirt paths snaked around the castle and small farm plots which sat scattered all around. Well-kept gardens with fragrant flowers, gorgeous trees, and many bushes decorated the outside of the castle, welcoming any who visit with not only the citrus sea breeze but with a floral kiss from mother nature herself.

Draven Halvard stared out at the expanse of his home from atop a white and grey steed. The Prince was clad in dark brown leather and a large hood that shadowed his features from the outside world. Multi-colored eyes scanned the castle, then the fields of green which danced against the autumn winds. It was always so strange, how the place in which he’d grown up felt so unfamiliar to him. He supposed that was why he rarely spent his time there anymore; why he always told his father that he would be off scouting for troops, hunting, or visiting neighboring Kingdoms.

“Draven,” an annoyed voice called after him. “Are you coming or what?” the voice belonged to a redhead by the name of Esra.

His horse, Sargent, let out a bleat to gain Draven’s attention and the Prince reached around to pat the horse on the cheek before nodding. “Yeah. I’m coming,” he called back to Esra and Sargent’s hooves thundered against the ground as they moved into a steady trot further away from the castle and toward the Arethusia Forest.

It didn’t take long for him to catch up with the rest of the crew. Some were on foot, some on horseback and others were set up at camp near the woods. Slowing Sargent to a halt, Draven hopped off the horse, fisting the reigns as he led the horse instead. As soon as his boots hit the ground, a heavily muscled arm wrapped itself around Draven’s shoulders, nearly choking him. The scent of ale was thick as a brick wall and when the Prince wriggled free from the beast of a man, he shot him a look.

“You’re already drunk aren’t you, Heath?”

Heath rose a brow, his hand coming up to rest on his chest as he feigned shock. “Me? No.” he shook his head, his mop of dirty-blonde hair flopping with the motion and then a rather unimpressed-looking Beau appeared at his other side. 

“He’s been at the tavern since sunrise,” Beau explained and Draven couldn’t help the faint smirk that tugged on his lips.

“I’m glad you came prepared,” Draven mused, slapping Heath on his broad back which earned a cheeky grin from the oaf of a man.

The group walked for a few hours while, talking, bickering, and laughing until they reached the treeline to the Arethusia Forest. There were campfire stories that had spread like wildfire through the continents about the forest. About how it was enchanted and filled with horrors that one couldn’t even begin to fathom. Draven didn’t believe a word of it, of course, figuring it all to be just as provocative as a children's bedtime story. It seemed that some others weren’t so sure.

“They look creepy,” Beau muttered as the four of them stood before the large pines. The forest was so thick that little sunlight cast through the branches and leaves. 

“So did you, but we still let you into the group,” Heath nudged Beau who scowled and Esra chuckled shaking her head.

“We stick to the path,” Draven announced and everyone collectively nodded. “She’ll be coming through this way in an hour's time.” 

The bandits pressed forward, their boots crunching against twigs and fallen pine. The forest was rather quiet. Not a birds song, no skittering rodents, or the snaps of sticks from deer. It was eerie, not to feel the presence of any animals. Especially in the forest? 

“This carriage will be filled with guards, Draven,” Esra finally said as they approached where they would set up their attack on the path. “If they see you, they could recognize you,”

“That’s why I’ll stay back, in the trees. I’ll have my bow and I can take them out from afar, unseen.” Draven turned toward Heath and Beau. “Beau, you’ll be on the lookout, you’ll give us the signal when you see the carriage and stay alert for anyone else traveling the path.” Beau nodded. “Heath, you’ll be the muscle, you can face them up close with Esra. I’ll try to keep them at bay from the trees, but Esra, when you get the chance, you need to grab her.”

Once everyone was on the same page, the group dispersed after setting the trap for the carriage to stop on its path. A large tree was pulled free from the brush and set across the length of the trail, any evidence of it being dragged was then diminished by Esra who retraced their steps and hid herself last. A few moments passed and there was nothing but the sound of their own breathing to fill the quiet when Beau whistled a tune that could easily be mistaken for a common bird. The signal.

Draven stood with his back against the bark of a large tree, his hands grasping his bow and arrow with white knuckles. All hoods were up and a cloth was wrapped around Draven’s face from the nose down. The sound of the carriage horses and wheels approached and then came to a halt. The guards muttered in annoyance to each other before hopping from the carriage to inspect the fallen tree. As soon as the steerers were away from the carriage, everything went into motion.

Moving around the tree, Draven knocked his arrow and sent it soaring through the air. The arrow went clean through one guard's neck and into the next. Both men opened their mouths in silent screams as they choked on their own blood and collapsed to the floor. The horses neighed, their front legs kicking in fear and then Heath and Esra were on the move, knocking out the rest of the men. Esra with her hatchet and Heath with his bare hands.

Draven watched as Esra tugged open the carriage to a screaming Princess and when Aurelia was tugged out of it, she went wild like an animal, thrashing and shoving until she was free. She began sprinting through the woods and Esra growled out after her before sprinting after the Princess. A low groan escaped Draven when he realized how much closer he was to the girl. Although he couldn’t touch her, he could slow her. 

Running after Aurelia, Draven shrugged off his cloak and began winding it up into something of a rope. He waited until he got close to the Princess before he flung it out in front of her, sending her tripping over the cloak and tumbling into the dirt. Esra was on her in seconds and blew a strand of red hair out of her face as she glared at him.

“Too close!” she scolded and Draven ignored her as everyone approached the two girls.

Slowly, Draven drew down his hood and peered down at her. Those crystal blue eyes were the same as he remembered, but she’d grown into a woman over the years. And he’d be lying if he said she wasn’t just as beautiful if not more so than when he first laid eyes on her. The Prince crouched down a safe distance away, his multi-toned eyes surveying her closely. 

“Hello, Little Sparrow. Do you remember me?”

Song: https://youtu.be/sxKExvAujeg

Aurelia Naomi Scrymgeour,  daughter of the late Priestess Adelgunde Sallow and current King Canute Eliciano Scrymgeour the 6th, ruler of the Barma Kingdom. Soon to be wife of Liam Graystone the 2nd, future King of the Sporina Islands.

Aurelia Scrymgeour has always been the dutiful daughter. Responsible, graceful, fragile, quiet. Her lessons consisted of nothing but how to sit, eat, and speak like a lady. Aurelia was never taught the art of war or the skills she would need to hold and use a sword. While her younger brother's entire life consisted of how to become a ruler, her entire existence revolved around how to be a serving wife.

Now, weeks before her 22nd birthday, Aurelia is finally getting her chance to prove herself to her father and step mother. Soon to be married to the heir of the Sporina Islands, Aurelia has spent the last few months preparing herself for what she was born to do. 

Become a powerless queen to a Kingdom like her own, one in which woman hold zero rights beyond the wishes and wants of their husbands and kings. 

The right way, she tells herself, the way it's supposed to be. Women are weaker, women are less. Women are second.

Aurelia loves the forest and has a knick for identifying plants and animals. Although her hobby of collecting medicinal herbs and poisonous flowers is frowned upon by both her step mother and father, it's never stopped her from gathering and gifting the tonics to the nearby temple. She's even been known to give medicine to the nearby peasant farming community. It's her heart, she knows, that is her down fall. 

"Bullet" - SAINT MOTEL

Draven Halvard holds the title of the Prince and Heir of Abingora, son of Revna and Edgar Halvard.

Despite Draven's role in the Kingdom, the twenty-four-year-old grew up feeling rather like a wolf in sheep's clothing. So much so, that he had taken it upon himself by the time he turned sixteen to position himself as the leader of a group of bandits that he now called his true family.

Living a double life of course is no easy feat. Draven constantly conceals himself with a hood and cloth around the lower half of his features to keep his identity hidden from the outside world. A Prince who lies, steals, heavily drinks, and occasionally murders people for money wasn't something that was taken lightly, and though he didn't need the money, his family did, and in turn, Draven got the one thing he craved above all else. Freedom. The life that he actually wanted. No roles. No crown. No Throne. Nothing expected of him.

Aside from being cursed by the Lady and Sheild when he was just twelve years old, Draven felt like things were going rather smoothly for him. He was getting better at escaping the castle to join up with his crew which had grown in numbers over the years. He was finally content. At least until the band of thieves became more widely known. So widely known that his father, King Edgard Halvard called upon them all with a specific request.

He wanted Princess Aurelia Scymgeour delivered to him from the Arethusia Forest. According to the letters, it was made known that her carriage would be heading along the pathway through the forest.

Though the bandits accepted the request due to the massive reward there was one rather large issue.

The girl they needed to kidnap was the girl Draven was supposed to be wed to once upon a time, and she was also the girl who underwent the same curse as him.

If they ever touched each other. They would die.