by Noah Harris
Minerva smiled, her eyes twinkling in amusement. “Don’t look so disappointed. Yet, I wouldn’t invest too much in his prophecies either. Prophecy is a fickle mistress, one moment she comes to you, appearing to promise you the world, only to turn into a monster and rip everything out from under you.”
“He was pretty clear about the whole ‘having to marry royal blood’ part of the prophecy. Only a prince crowned in mistletoe, bound to one of royal blood, could be the leader who brings prosperity and peace to the lands,” Philip told her.
Minerva raised a brow. “Mistletoe? In the north, it’s a symbol of fertility.”
Jaeger laughed. “I doubt that’s what it’s supposed to mean here.”
“It’s a symbol of peace and friendship in the south,” Philip told them.
Minerva nodded. “Well, that explains the significance of it in his prophecy. Of course. A prince crowned to be king, with a crown made of the very symbol of peace.”
“You can understand why I’m not so eager to test it, especially since he promised the complete opposite would happen if I didn’t fulfill the prophecy,” Philip said.
“Your caution is understood, and warranted. However, I do not believe it will come to all that, but we can speak of prophecy another time,” Minerva said, draining the last of her drink.
Jaeger crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m assuming you have a plan of sorts?”
“Whatever the future might hold, we do know if we allow Orrin and the Regents to follow through with their plan, the world will suffer. They’ll most certainly descend on the Forest of Arden and wipe out the people there. Whatever problems my nation may have had with them in the past, I have no desire to see such a strong, and noble people destroyed because the regents have decided the Forest is theirs to mine and rape as they see fit,” Minerva explained, voice rising as she spoke.
“I’m not going to argue with preventing them from killing us both and attacking the Forest, but that doesn’t tell us what the plan is,” Philip said.
“The few men I can trust to do what I ask without reporting it will be able to give us time to slip away from the castle. Once free, we’ll make our way to the Forest of Arden. For all the restrictions in my life, I have managed to gain some allies among the people there, and they’ll be able to give us sanctuary. Once we’re there, I’ll be free to summon more allies, and with more experienced and willing bodies around us, we can draw up a real plan to fight back against these conspirators,” Minerva explained, standing.
“My father,” Philip began, mouth twisting with pain and fear.
Jaeger winced, hating the words which would come from his mouth but knowing it was Philip’s only option if he wanted to live. “The king will be safe. So long as he is the only ruler they still have in their clutches, they won’t willingly bring any harm to him.”
“But he’ll be left in Orrin’s power,” Philip said.
Some of the heat in Minerva’s eyes dimmed, and she laid a gentle hand on Philip’s shoulder. “As we are now, there is nothing we can do to help your father. So long as we stay away, they will be forced to keep him alive. So long as he is alive, there is a chance to break the power Orrin has woven over his mind. The longer we stand around here and discuss it however, the longer Orrin has to solidify his control.”
“We have no one we can really trust, no forces we can call upon which might not be tainted by Orrin, nor any orders which he wouldn’t override. The best chance we have at succeeding in stopping them, is to take the Princess up on her plan,” Jaeger said, with a nod toward Minerva.
Philip snorted, a small smile curling at the corner of his mouth. “You’re just saying that, so I’ll agree to get out of the castle.”
Jaeger shrugged. “I want you out of the castle, away from the all these people who would kill you simply to have what you have. But that doesn’t mean her plan isn’t the best one we have so far, and the safest, for now.”
Philip closed his eyes, taking a deep breath before nodding. “Lead the way.”
Chapter Five
Philip
Minerva hadn’t been exaggerating when she’d told them they had a journey ahead of them. The escape from the castle had ended up being more anticlimactic than Philip had assumed it would be. Jaeger had found their path through the outer courtyard, down through the gardens amusing, but had only shaken his head when Philip asked what was so funny.
With almost every occupant of the castle sleeping off a prodigious feast and ample alcohol, there’d been no one around save for the patrol guards. Once Jaeger had known where they needed to go, he’d led Philip, Minerva, and the two handmaidens who accompanied her in total silence. Jaeger had made only a momentary stop on the way, reappearing from his short trip with a locked chest under his arms. Even Philip was unable to get Jaeger to tell him what was in the chest, and Jaeger kept it with him the whole journey.
Philip had been surprised when they’d been met by a group of horses at the edge of the of the castle property. Minerva smiled when Philip asked where they’d come from, and Jaeger had only shaken his head. They’d mounted the horses and made their way along the trails, Minerva and one of her handmaidens guiding them. Curiously, the handmaiden said nothing, using her hand to point and guide them along various small roads and narrow paths through the woods.
“They’re a quiet bunch, aren’t they?” Philip had asked Jaeger as they rode side by side.
Jaeger’s wary expression turned dark. “They can’t talk.”
Philip frowned. “What?”
“The way they hold their lips, and sometimes, they work their mouths when they think no one’s looking. They don’t have tongues, they’ve been removed,” Jaeger explained.
Philip remembered the conversation Minerva had with Jaeger about keeping secrets. “You don’t think she…”
Jaeger shrugged. “She might have, or the women might have done it themselves. It’s not like I didn’t subject myself to some harsh treatment to ensure I would never betray you if it came down to it. Those who can’t speak, never have to risk spilling their master or mistress’ secrets.”
Philip watched the two women after that, noting how close they rode to one another, and how their eyes always found the Princess. He couldn’t imagine giving up his own tongue in the service of someone else, but then again, he’d never served another before. Philip had always obeyed his father, and begrudgingly obeyed Orrin, simply because they were representatives of the realm. His only duty was to serve the realm, and while he had to make sacrifices and ignore his own wants for what the country would one day need, he’d never had to go so far.
“The things we do for those we care most about,” Jaeger said, sounding melancholy.
A deep sadness hung over Jaeger after that, and Philip allowed his friend some peace and quiet. They rode in silence throughout the night, through the next day and well into the following night. Even when the dark look of solemn thought left Jaeger’s face, the wary and watchful expression never did.
His castle lay at the center of the kingdom, so the journey to the edge of the Forest of Arden took several days. Philip had never travelled too far from the castle, and never without a full retinue of guards to keep him safe. He quickly discovered riding a horse for hours at a time was uncomfortable and trying to sleep on only a rolled-out bag stuffed with feathers was no way to sleep. The food had been horrible when compared to the rich and succulent meals he’d grown up with, and he disliked the way it sat in his gut like a rock.
Still, he reveled in his relative freedom, even if it was to be short-lived. He wasn’t bound to the castle and all the nobles who required him to be and speak a certain way. As odd as it was not to bathe every day, or have his meals cooked for him, he found he liked the fresh air and the smell of the woods. He’d never realized just how vibrant the wilderness could be, and his inner wolf wanted to run and jump through the trees and meadows they passed.
As evening drew down on the third day, Jaeger stopped their party.
Philip’s question was cut off by a sharp motion from Jaeger, and the man dismounted his horse. Philip didn’t hear the blades pulled from their sheaths, but he watched as they seemed to appear in Jaeger’s hands. They’d been specially made for him, and Jaeger’s grip around them was familiar and casual.
“We’re not alone,” Jaeger told them softly.
Philip hadn’t heard anything, but he knew better than to argue with his friend. They’d taken what few weapons they could with them, and Philip reached for the large sword strapped to his side. Even as he slipped the blade free, his body tensing for a coming battle, he couldn’t help but admire Jaeger. The man’s body was taut with expectation, rather than fear, his dark eyes sweeping the area around them, looking like a predator as he searched. Jaeger looked elegant, prepared, deadly, and Philip couldn’t remember ever being more attracted to him than at that moment.
Two people, a man and woman of about equal height, stepped out from the far line of trees. Their blond hair hung down over their pale faces, marking them as people of the south. The hoods of their long robes concealed the rest of them, though the man was built large, and the woman slender. It was impossible to see if they were concealing any weapons beneath their robes, but their hands lay at their sides. There were smiles on their faces, small and patient, as they took several steps closer and stopped.
“Identify yourselves,” Jaeger barked at them, his blades shifting to the ready.
The woman tilted her head. “We are the ones sent to welcome you. Princess Minerva, Prince Philip, we are your escorts into the heart of the forest.”
Minerva glanced back, grinning. “I think we can let them take over from here.”
The people of the Forest of Arden were, at least from Philip’s understanding of the two who guided them, rather quiet. They also seemed to be in no hurry to get anywhere, walking slowly as they guided the small party through the woods. The deeper they went, the darker and more rich the forest became. The deep smell of the earth and the foliage became somewhat overpowering as they walked through what felt like perpetual twilight.
The others seemed content with the silence from their guides, but Philip wasn’t. “Where are you taking us?”
It was the man who spoke. “To the heart of the forest. Our leaders wait there for your arrival. There, you may rest, and partake in the festivities.”
“There’s…festivities?” Philip asked.
The woman chuckled. “Yes, we do not celebrate this time of year as your people do, but we do celebrate for the same reasons. Midwinter is a time when the earth slumbers, waiting to awake again, and it is up to us to harken some life back into the wood while it rests. Though everything may look deathly and ill, it is only a deep rest, so the earth can gather its strength once more.”
Philip looked around. “It doesn’t look very dead to me.”
“That is because you have not seen the wood when it is at its full strength. The power of this place races from one end of the forest to the other. It may seem lively to you, since you live so far from it, but it is quiet now. It will grow quieter as the season grows stronger, but then life will return anew,” she explained.
“And you said you don’t celebrate the way we do?” Philip asked.
The man looked over his shoulder, grinning. “We would call your celebration tame. When your people come to us during any of our celebrations, save for one, they are often shocked at just how much energy we put into them.”
Philip cocked his head. “Which one aren’t they shocked at?”
“None of your people has seen it, but it is the one after the harvest festival before the midwinter festival. The time when we celebrate those who have passed from this life and into the next. During that time, we show respect to those who have left us, and pass love and offerings on to our loved ones,” the woman explained.
“It is a quiet, private affair, but you won’t have to worry about seeing it, not now, it has passed,” the man said.
“Artorius speaks the truth, the one you walk into might do you some good. Your whole group bears a heavy weight upon your shoulders, and you could use a bit of life and happiness before facing what lays ahead,” the woman said, nodding as she spoke.
“Emma is a little eager, but she is right,” Artorius added.
“I don’t think we’re in much of a celebratory mood,” Philip said.
Artorius chuckled. “All the more reason to celebrate. When life is at its hardest, that is the time to sing and dance. Darkness is given meaning by the light, and so too is joy given meaning by suffering. You might one day look back on this moment and be glad you took the time to enjoy yourselves. The danger will be waiting for you, whether or not you dance.”
“I’m thinking you guys dance differently than I’m used to,” Philip said with a low chuckle.
“A good thing our dances are simple,” Emma told him with a grin.
Philip thought for a moment. “You know, despite our people being allies, I guess I never thought you would be this…well, calm.”
Artorius chuckled. “The people of the north know us as beasts, almost completely rabid and horrifying opponents to meet on the field of battle. This is because we foster that image and terrorize their armies when they invade and their people when they come to plunder the forest. The people of the south have a piece of that fear in their opinions of us, but their blood, which has mingled with ours, understands the power and importance of the Arden Forest. Yet, even that respect does not keep them from believing we are monsters and beasts, necessary monsters perhaps, but monsters all the same. Only those who come and dwell among us ever learn the truth, and I have yet to find any of your people, those with our blood in any case, who do not enjoy what time they spend here.”
A great deal of what Philip knew about the Forest of Arden and its people came from rumor and hearsay. There were only a select few people within the kingdom who dared go into the forest of their own free will. The only people Philip had ever spoken to, or knew of, who’d been in the forest, were those southerners who assigned ambassadorial duties. It was one thing to hear rumors, and it was another to be walking beside the very people he’d always been faintly curious of.
“You can tell, who has your blood and who doesn’t?” Philip asked.
“The Changing Blood can be scented, if you know what to smell for. However, the blood must be strong enough to create a change, and not so diluted that the person might as well be human. Very few humans come into our lands, unless they are sent by the north to invade or pillage. It is only those, mostly southerners like yourself, who come into our lands freely, and so long as their intentions are pure, we welcome them after a time,” Emma explained.
Jaeger glanced up, having listened to the conversation. “And northerners of your blood?”
Emma laughed, nodding toward Minerva. “We welcome even those occasional northerners whose intentions are true. You are safe here in our woods, Northern Wolf.”
Jaeger fell silent after that, and Philip shot him a smile. It wasn’t completely unusual to have someone from the north live and work in the south as a citizen. But Jaeger bore a very strong resemblance to a northerner, uncannily so. There was no real dilution in his blood, save for the fact that he too was a werewolf. Jaeger had experienced some difficulty over the years due to his blood, and Philip wasn’t sure if it was better or worse than others because of Jaeger’s bond with the royal family.
“It must require more than just a handful of you to keep an eye on things,” Philip noted.
Artorius nodded. “We are all one large family, but we separate ourselves for most of the year to keep our own portion of the forest guarded and cared for. During celebrations however, we come together, all packs form into one, as a family. There are those who choose to keep sentry duty, and our forest is watched from each and every corner. That is how we knew where you were, and that you had come.”
Emma pointed ahead. “And now our leaders, Makepeace and Verity, await your arrival. They’ve bee
n…excited to meet all of you in person. We’ve heard talk about Prince Philip, and have had sparse contact with the Princess, but now? Now they look forward to putting a face and a heart to the names they hear so often.”
Philip hesitated. “Is there…a proper title I should give them? Lord and Lady? Master and Mistress?”
Artorius and Emma looked at one another and laughed. “We just call them by their names. They are our fathers, and that is all we need to know them as.”
Philip couldn’t help but glance at Jaeger as he asked, “…fathers?”
It was Minerva who looked back, smiling. “The Forest of Arden’s people are led by two bonded males. One is an alpha, the other an omega, and they have ruled for almost a generation.”
The light of hope flared and died in Jaeger’s gaze, but Philip held onto it for a moment longer. He’d heard rumors that the werewolves allowed such things, accepting it as natural, but had never known for certain. To find out it was not only true, but that they allowed those who loved their own sex to lead was more than Philip might have dreamed.
“Then let’s go meet us some fathers,” Philip said, hoping that as he hurried along, the other two would be forced to quicken their steps.
Philip saw lights and heard the cries of people before he saw another living thing. As they drew closer to the noise, he realized the sounds were shouts of joy and boisterous laughter. Once they were close enough, he could see the lights came from several torches and fires lit throughout a clearing. People leapt and twirled around the fires, earthenware mugs held in many hands as others talked and sang together.
Before they could enter the clearing, two men approached them. Each of them wore robes similar to Artorius and Emma’s robes, though they were cleaner, and the hoods were pulled back. One man was noticeably taller than the other, almost as tall as Philip himself. His pale hair seemed to glow in the nearby light, and his bright blue eyes shone with excitement as they waited for Philip’s group to reach them. The other man was shorter, and darker in both hair and eye, marked of northern blood, but the smile on his lips lacked the dour seriousness that so many people associated with the north. Both men waited patiently until they arrived, opening their arms in a gesture of welcome.
