I apologize for any errors. Enjoy the chapter!

Chapter Fifteen

The castle was unusually quiet, the only sound the inhale and exhale of the air surrounding me. Not a soul was to be seen, everyone having taken off as told. It seemed colder than usual as well, the atmosphere frigid and frosted.

I was told to wait downstairs until Sage returned from directing everyone out of the castle. Shatteria was upstairs, preparing the King for the departure. The day appeared to be a slow, unproductive one, yet today more would happen than ever.

I could hear footsteps although I had not bothered to turn. Todd was sitting beside me and had begun chattering, his ears perked as he walked in the general direction. The only person he had taken a liking to here was the person I was waiting for.

"Are you ready?" he asked, his voice as tranquil as ever. He kept walking until he was by my side, Todd at his heels.

"As ready as I will ever be," I replied, watching as my little one rubbed up against Sage. Sage too looked down, kneeling as he ran his hand through Todd's fur.

"Perhaps he should be outside," he said, looking up at me expectantly. I frowned, offended. I was not stupid enough to allow him near the King, knowingly.

"Todd is not a dog. He comes and goes as he pleases. He will leave as we go upstairs. It is as he always does," I responded and started walking forward, Todd following in suit.

As expected, once we reached the stairs, Todd disappeared. I smirked at Sage who simply glared at me before opening the door. We ascended, both of us quiet. The tension had begun showing itself, warmly greeting us.

We had reached the hall and Sage hesitated, turning towards me. "I want to thank you, Rowan," he said, startling me.

He sighed, running a hand through his hair before he began explaining. "Without you, King Sandalius would not have a chance. He would have spiraled himself deeper into his darkness until it was all he could see or until his heart stopped beating.

Yet, today gave him hope whether you are aware or not. He would have never agreed if he truly thought there was not a chance that this might help him. You are the reason he may began reversing his destination down this dark path."

That was how he saw it, I supposed. However, there was more to it in my eyes. "Sage, it is not I who you should be thanking, but yourself. I would not be here without you, would I?" I asked, and he frowned at the question.

"No, however–"

"I would have left with my father if you had not come for me, would I have not?" I pressed, and he sighed.

"That is not the point," he replied, and I shook my head.

"No, Sage, that is precisely the point. You are the savior of your own King, not me. You are as true and loyal as any knight can only dream of being," I said, watching as his expression became a tender one.

He started forward, his body closer to mine than ever. I could feel the fabric of his uniform brushing against my dress, firm and light. His brown eyes stared into my own, as if searching for something. Perhaps he found it because he leaned even closer, only a wisp of air between us.

Just as quickly as the moment had begun, it ended at the sound of a door opening. Sage was quick to fall back, the air returning to my lungs. There stood Shaterria, her hands on her hips as she studied the both of us.

"Are you going to just stand there? We don't have all week," she snapped and proceeded to walk back into the room.

I could hear Sage clear his throat, but refused to look in his direction. "It is time," he said, his voice deeper than I had become used to.

With that, he walked down the hall, leading us into the room. Once we walked in, I could see Shaterria standing next to the King, her hands folded together.

The King was dressed differently today. I thought his clothing could only get better, but I was wrong. Today he wore a white shirt that looked as if it had been worn down past its use. It was now a faded grey, holes gaping every inch or so. He also wore a pair of dark sweats that looked to have once been soft but now seemed rough.

His hair was as usual, however, still in need of care. King Sandalius' back was turned towards us, although it did not matter. I was sure he had heard us enter and was proven right when he began speaking.

"I did not think you would show," he said casually, his eyes still looking out the window and not towards us.

"I told you I do not scare easy, did I not?" I replied and heard a sigh in return. It had started, the daily, silent bickering between Sage and me.

I shot him a glare before I continued. "If you expect people to leave, then they will do just that. Perhaps it would be in your interest to think otherwise."

The room was quiet for a moment before Sage snapped at me. "Rowan, hush!" he barked, then bowed his head. "I am sorry, Your Highness. Rowan does not mean-"

King Sandalius dismissed his words with the wave of a hand as he finally turned towards us. "All is fine, Sage."

His eyes then directed themselves towards me, a smirk playing on his lips. "Rowan seems to believe she is more likely to gain my respect if she plays the dominant female rather than the docile one," he said, walking over to us.

My body tensed, but I kept my eyes on his, refusing to give in. I would not allow him to think he had any power over me. He was not my King, nor was anyone else.

"Allow me to help you," he murmured, close enough that he leaned down towards me, his body towering over my own.

"Your attempt is more likely to get you snatched up by a wolf than it is to aid you."

It took everything in me not to snap at him. I knew it would only end disastrously and perhaps with someone hurt. And it was more likely that I would be than he.

So I took a deep breath and replied, "You are anything but a wolf, Your Highness. Wolves are more than just their appearance, and you have none of that."

His eyes flickered at my words, and he stared for a moment. For once, there was no snapping or cruel words. His eyes did not appear harsh or cruel. They appeared curious.

He finally leaned back, his eyes leaving mine. "We should leave now or we will not make it back before the sun goes down," Shaterria quickly said, jumping in.

Sage appeared relieved by the lessening of the tension and Shaterria's addition. However, the harsh look in his eyes told me he was not pleased with my actions.

"Lead the way," King Sandalius said, allowing Shaterria to step forward.

We had decided it was best for her to lead while I stood next to the King and Sage fell behind. We did so until we reached the castle entrance, pausing there.

Shaterria turned, waiting for the King's permission. His eyes were squinted as he looked up out the windows above the door where the light shined through.

The King nodded, and she slowly opened the door, the sun eagerly greeting us like a pup. I could see the King shield his eyes, unused to the direct contact.

"This is where I leave you," Shaterria said, holding the doors open as we all stepped out, the air turning warm and friendly.

"We will return before the moon comes up," Sage explained, saying parting words to her before she closed the doors, staying in the castle.

King Sandalius was incredibly calm for someone who had just stepped outside for the first time in years. His body was still; however, his eyes were not. They touched everything in sight, like a child at the markets.

"The forest is this way," Sage said, now guiding us. We walked slow, allowing the King to take in all his surroundings. He was quiet as he did so, yet his expression seemed lighter than before.

Once we reached the forest, he seemed to relax. It was a place he knew and had once been familiar with.

"It looks different," he said, his eyes studying the place he had once called home.

"Just as our towns grow, so does the forest," I replied, walking forward. I had missed nature, more so than I realized.

I ran my hand along the rough bark, a reminiscent feeling running through me. I yearned my own forest now more than ever, yet it was nowhere within reach and would not be for quite some time.

"You will return one day," Sage said softly, as if reading my thoughts.

I simply looked back at him before saying, "Let us go."

As we walked through the forest, the King became more and more curious. He would kneel down and run his hands through the grass as if greeting an old lover before stroking the leaves of a tree. His eyes would save the twigs or nearby foliage or the way the dirt appeared looser in certain areas.

The animals were aware of his presence, and I was sure he was aware of theirs. When we would get close, the birds would stop chirping and any prey would still, pausing in their daily routines. All knew of the predator only a distance away from them.

"I used to roam the forest for miles and miles. Yet, I cannot remember a thing we did. All I remember is running," the King said quietly, his voice holding a nostalgic feel as he stared down the dirt path, his eyes glazed over.

I smiled briefly at his words. "Todd and I used to watch the wolves run through the forest as they passed us. They would follow the prey's migration, leaving us for the season before coming back the next."

The King's posture had relaxed considerably since we had left. He already looked more lively, his skin soaking up the much needed sun. His eyes seemed brighter as well, their hazel hue animated more now than ever.

We traveled for a few miles before Sage talked. "It is time we leave, Your Highness. It is too much of a risk to be out much later," he suggested, but the King simply shook his head.

"A little longer," he murmured, reluctant to leave the forest and its inhabitants. I understood his desire and selfishly sided with him, although I knew it was not for the best.

"The hunters will be out soon," Sage pressed, his voice firm.

The King laughed and replied, "What will they do, Sage? Shoot the King?"

Sage did not find it as funny as he did and neither did I. It was a huge possibility, considering others were not sure what their King even looked like. It seemed he had forgotten that he had not been into the public in very many years.

No sooner than that, I could hear a twig snap before something whistled through the air, slamming into a nearby tree.

*Side note: Would y'all be interested in holiday cards this year? I did them last year, and with them came an exclusive chapter for whichever ship from whichever story you wanted. To this day, those chapters still haven't been posted on here.