Child Of Nature

By Talissa O'Shrigar

Queen Senida and King Dinam, the leaders of the eastern countries, are hunting the obscure and mythical Child of Nature to obtain the child's powers. 

In the southwest country are twin princes. Though charismatic, Prince Varian is pompous and snarky, as opposed to his identical twin brother Prince Darven, whose charm is coupled with a calm, gentle air. It is one of these two princes that Princess Amarila, the northwestern royalty, will marry in order to strengthen the alliance between their countries.

One of Princess Amarila's companions is Elyana, the apparently insignificant and quiet girl—who is, secretly, the last Child of Nature. Like all previous children of nature, she is blessed with the power of nature to take care of nature itself and its people.

Elyana needs to hide her true identity and appearance to accomplish her predecessor, Jothan's mission of bringing peace to the mainland. No other child will be born after her.

Prince Darven has been Elyana's soul-sibling since birth. He supports Elyana in every way—as is his responsibility—unlike his twin brother, Varian, who detests Elyana, as well as the very notion of the Child. Would he learn that the two sources of his hate are one and the same person? Would his feelings change if he does?

Things spiral out of control, and the wrong person gets captured, mistaken as the child. An unlikely trio forms and continue their venture to find safety across the lands, helping people along the way and bypassing borders. 

On this incredible journey, could peace be achieved across the mainland? What twist of fate await? And what will become of the legacy of the Nature's Child who is supposed to heal the world. 

 

 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Talissa O'Shrigar
• Release date: May 13, 2022
• ISBN: 9798201474744

Book preview

Chapter 1: Varian

I am flying.

Based on my shadow, I am a majestic, beautiful bird flying above our mainland. The weather is wonderful this morning; the four countries on our mainland seem to be very similar from up here. We basically live on an island with the lush blue-green sea surrounding the mainland. Still flying, I can see rich ranges. Clear rivers and brooks flow, brimming with fish swimming inside them. There is a flavour of solace and peace in the wind. The forests contain young and old trees alike, with most of their trunks standing sturdy and tall, giving the forest a look of densely green foliage. All four countries possess some resources that are unique and native to each. Our country particularly is famous for its delicious wines.

My people live in the southwest side of the mainland. Our ally country is up northwest; they are rich in iron ores. Our relationship with the eastern countries isn’t cordial because of certain religious differences. All four countries are linked to a beautiful, dense Central Forest rich in wildlife, which is at the heart of the mainland. All the four Capitals are built close to the Central Forest, and deliberately so that the rulers aren’t far from each other. The Central Forest is almost as large as a country. The borders are marked with a moderately wide and shallow river that streams through the Central Forest.

I am happy and free... but it all changes in a second.

I raise my head up, and I see a huge black cloud threateningly inching towards me. I try to escape, but the cloud follows and devours me. The last thing I see is complete darkness.

I woke up with a start, in cold sweat, panting heavily. The window to my room was open, the night was peeking in, and the blinds were wavering. I was clutching my bedsheets and realised that my childhood nightmare was haunting me again.

I took a deep breath, put my robe on and went to the balcony of my apartment. Bean got up immediately and followed me with his tongue out. Bean was a brown-coloured, mixed breed, large dog that I had found on the riverside a few years ago, abandoned. He was only a puppy back then.

I saw the well-kept garden of my parents’ castle from the balcony, where many royal guards were walking next to the torches. The garden always provided me sight for sore eyes, especially after this kind of awakening.

This nightmare had been haunting me since my childhood. My remedy was a potion from Master Larus that always helped me drown this nightmare out. Over the years, I have had to receive stronger potions to keep the dream at bay. Tomorrow I’d need to get a stronger one if I want to sleep again, I thought.

I went back to my room and, after some time, fell asleep again. I couldn’t sleep as well and as deep as I had before the nightmare began.

I woke up very early in the morning, took a bath, and got dressed before going over to Master Larus with my dog, Bean.

I was one of the heirs to the throne. My apartment was equipped luxuriously, with orange colours dominant all around since that was the colour of my family. I always paid attention to my clothing, always wearing the most expensive clothes, ensuring I looked immaculate. In my opinion, this was a basic requirement for someone belonging to the Royal Family.

Two guards always stood in front of my door, and as soon as I left my apartment, they followed me obediently. I walked down the decorated corridors with statues and paintings of my family and other nobles or artists, with the guards behind me.

These corridors were guarded by other guards, also dressed in orange. The servants passing by bowed to me respectfully. I was en route to Master Larus’ laboratory across the castle.

Master Larus was our royal herbalist. When I opened his door, it was not surprising to see that he was already standing next to his pots and mixing something. In the laboratory, tables stood with pots connected to pipes everywhere.

Master Larus was a short man with a long beard. He barely reached my chest. Master Larus looked up from his work and bowed to me as soon as I entered. My guards waited outside the gate.

‘Good morning, Prince Varian,’ he smiled at me, ‘How can I help you?’

‘I had a nightmare again,’ I said, eyeing his fascinating laboratory, ‘I need a stronger potion.’

Master Larus moved to one of his stations and searched for the potion. ‘For now, I can, but soon, I will not be able to give you any stronger potion,’ he said. ‘Please bethink of another solution, Your Majesty.’

‘What kind of other solution?’ I asked angrily with my eyes on the short man now. ‘Should I quit sleeping?’

‘No, Your Majesty,’ he said apologetically, ‘but maybe you should consider asking the child for advice.’

‘I won’t seek any advice from a religious belief,’ I said angrily, ‘and definitely not from a child.’

‘As you wish, Your Majesty,’ he said and bowed to me, procuring multiple bottles and jars from his collection. ‘I’ll start brewing the potion. It will be waiting for you in your apartment tonight.’

‘Thank you, Master Larus,’ I said.

I left Master Larus’ laboratory and walked to our royal diner to have breakfast with my family like every day.

The guards stationed along the corridor saluted me while I walked. I almost reached the entrance of the diner when I saw my reflection walk towards me.

‘Don’t you want to get rid of this silly habit of having guards inside the castle?’ my twin brother, Darven, asked teasingly, ‘they make you look ridiculous.’

‘A Prince should carry authority,’ I said, with solemnity laced in my voice.

My twin brother and I looked alike. Both of us were tall, handsome and with developed broad shoulders. Our dark eyes and hair made us indistinguishable from anyone else around. Up to this day, we kept the same hairstyle; we didn’t mind looking fully identical. Like every other pair of twins, in our childhood, we teased our parents by impersonating each other. Our main difference was, which our parents used to distinguish us with, that Darven was right-handed and I used my left hand.

None of us knew who the older one was. Our parents’ plan was to give the throne over to both of us. Following their plans, in the last few years, we studied separately to be good at different things, and we met only sometimes for a week or two. Darven dressed more casually than me; he never buttoned up his jacket properly and never bothered maintaining the stylishness of a Prince. We soon finished our studies, and both of us were now members of our father’s Royal Council.

‘I doubt that the guards will give you authority,’ he chuckled, ‘are you ready to meet your wife today?’

‘We’ll meet your wife,’ I teased him.

‘We’ll see about that,’ he answered.

We entered the royal diner, deluxe as always. Our parents were sitting on one side of the table, and our little sister, Valita, was sitting on the other side of the table, waiting for us. Valita was much younger than us. She had just learned how to read and write. She had beautiful, long dark hair and big, dark eyes. She looked like a perfect little Princess and was the apple of everyone’s eye.

Both of my parents were tall, but they were shorter than us brothers. They also had dark hair and eyes, just like everyone else in our ancestry, since we were born in the southern regions. My mother had a fine head of dark hair while my father kept a small beard.

Bean, who had been following me, sat down on the corner, and the servants gave him breakfast.

‘Just on time,’ my mother smiled at us. Valita mirrored her.

‘Good morning,’ we said, joining them by the table and sitting down next to Valita. As the servants served us breakfast, we helped Valita use the knife from both sides of her plate.

‘The future Queen will arrive today,’ my father said cheerily. Darven and I eyed each other.

‘Do we really have to do this, father?’ I asked, ‘neither Darven nor I want to get married.’

‘I’m sorry, my son,’ my father answered, ‘the eastern countries united their forces; we must do the same. The wedding with our northern neighbour is the best choice. You are lucky because it’s up to Princess Amarila’s choice which one of you can stay happily free,’ he chuckled.

‘Great,’ I said sarcastically, ‘can we not come to peace with the eastern countries?’

‘Your grandfather had already tried,’ he said, ‘until they came to tread on everything we believe in, there is no hope. The conflicts in our beliefs are a serious matter.’

‘We believe in a dream,’ I snapped, ‘in a legend about some kind of child,’ I stressed upon the last word sarcastically.

‘What child?’ Valita asked agape.

My mother put down her knife and fork and smiled at her daughter.

‘In every generation, a child is born, and thanks to this child, the ranges are rich, the soils have enough crops that can be harvested, and the rivers are rich in fish. The child takes care of the balance of nature, the sunshine and the rain, and watches over life and helps people.

‘Where does this child live?’ Valita asked next.

‘In the joint, Central Forest,’ my mother said.

‘Interestingly,’ I interrupted my mother, ‘nobody ever saw any child during the last centuries. We don’t even know how old the current child is.’

‘We don’t know,’ Darven said, ‘but someone else might know.’

‘Maybe this child isn’t even alive now because he died and will be born only after ten years,’ I said.

‘Nature would indicate that,’ my father said confidently.

‘What is our eastern neighbours’ problem with this child?’ Valita asked again. She visibly liked this child theory.

‘They would like to know who this child is, and they want to dispossess this child to work only for them,’ my mother answered.

My mother was very polite because the eastern kingdoms had hunted the child for many years to kill him. Master Larus used to live in the east when he was young. It was only when they tried to kill him that he took refuge with us. He helped people with his potions, and everyone thought that he was the child. The eastern rulers think that the child blows the coal between the countries and provides fake dreams about health and well-being.

‘Can I visit this child in the Central Forest?’ Valita asked curiously.

‘It’s impossible to get into that forest,’ I said, ‘there is nothing inside. No castle, no tower, nothing. Whenever I rode into this forest, I always got lost. Believe me, Valita, there is no child in that forest. Probably some deer here and there and similar animals, but no child. I can imagine an old man sitting under a tree getting wet in the rain, staying there as that tree is his home,’ I laughed loudly.

Darven was thinking for a while and laughed.

‘Varian,’ my father said to me, ‘talk with more respect. You are here because the child helped your mother.’

‘Did you see him, Mother?’ Valita asked excitedly.

‘No,’ my mother answered, ‘I left a letter next to the forest, and on the next day, a bag of tea leaves was waiting for me in my room. You brothers were born afterwards.’

‘That’s indeed a proof for the existence of this child,’ I said sardonically, ‘as it could not be done by Master Larus or any other mage.’

‘Enough, Varian,’ my father said, ‘your unbelieving behaviour is unacceptable here.’

‘Do I really have to get married because of this nonsense theory?’ I snapped, ‘this child does not exist; we are simply lucky with the position of our mainland.’

‘Enough,’ my father stood up, ‘leave the diner and until our guests arrive, think over what you dare to talk about.’

I stood up and stormed out of the diner to the stable. I had a beautiful, black stallion. I called him Sundown. I kept him saddled with a stable boy and rode out with my two guards and Bean.

I was angry as it wasn’t fair that I had to pay the price for something that the older generations believed in, which did not even exist.

The Central Forest, where nobody ever entered, lay north from the castle, and it only took an hour-long ride to get there. I wanted to enter the forest to prove that nothing lived there except for deer and other animals.

On a meadow near the forest and the border river, there was a royal guard post where the guards paid attention to the eastern side. We traded with our northern neighbour, but only very few people could come over from the east. The forest was respected by everyone; all the traders made sure to bypass it carefully.

We entered the forest. The sun perfused the forest with light between the branches. Everything was peaceful and harmless. A wooden tray lay next to a huge tree trunk, where people could leave their letters to the child. Currently, the tray was empty.

I walked straight ahead, with my dog and my guards following me. Close to us, bunnies were playing and deer were pasturing. I correlated the sun’s direction to me, always having it on the same side of myself as I was taught, and went deeper into the forest. As always, I didn’t see any castle or tower. I saw nothing. I already started to think that I had made it into the forest when I noticed our royal guards’ post.

‘I got lost again,’ I said to myself.

‘According to hearsay, Your Majesty,’ one of my guards said, ‘the forest discharges everyone who wants its secrets.’

‘Certainly,’ I said sarcastically.

I rode back to the castle; the stable boys helped me get off the horse and unsaddled Sundown.

‘Your wife will arrive soon,’ my brother teased me, waiting for me at the stable door.

‘I’m pretty sure she’ll choose you,’ I chuckled.

‘Have you been in the Central Forest again?’ Darven asked me.

‘Yes,’ I said fretfully, ‘but nothing is there. Why don’t you side with me relating to this child theory?’

‘Because I already told you that I don’t agree with you,’ he answered calmly, ‘during the years when I studied in the north, I saw a lot of evidence for the existence of the child.’

‘Tell me one,’ I asked, my arms folded.

‘I already told you,’ he laughed, ‘the countries are flourishing; everyone has enough food. There are the drawings, the things that help us to stay healthy. Tell me that these are not enough evidence,’ he indicated to his leather strap with a wooden medallion on his neck. It contained some lines without real configuration, ‘the children taught these drawings for our people and us, in times of centuries gone by. These work, just like the potions.’

‘So, you think that you are healthy because of this medallion?’ I pointed towards it with my finger.

‘Yes,’ he answered confidently, ‘and I know that you are wearing your medallion, the one I gave you, during your encounters to avoid having any unwanted baby.’

‘The drawings can work without the child, just like Master Larus is successful with his potions.’ I said, ‘if the child existed, he wouldn’t be helping the eastern people, that I should remind you, want to kill him.’

‘The child is responsible for the balance of the mainland, not for the happiness of given rulers,’ my brother said, ‘a few generations ago, the child was loved and celebrated everywhere. Maybe things will be the same once again.’

‘Why is this child not showing himself?’ I asked.

‘From what I know, a few generations ago, everyone knew the child,’ Darven said, ‘in many cities, statues were erected for him. His true identity is a secret since he is hunted. If I were him, I’d take care of myself too.’

‘If you get to know this child, please introduce me to him.’ I said, and my brother laughed.

‘I don’t think that he wants to meet you,’ he teased me, ‘you didn’t have any nice word about the child.’

‘If I meet him, I’ll think about what to say,’ I said.

‘Good idea,’ he laughed and left me alone.

Chapter 2: Elyana

‘Are you ready?’ I asked when I entered Princess Amarila’s dressing room. It was decorated lavishly, with the ceiling rising 15 to 20 feet high.

‘Do you think that anyone ever can be ready for this?’ she asked, turning her gaze toward me. She was applying rouge on her cheeks, sitting before the mirror.

Amarila and I were similarly short. She had nice long blond hair and, according to Darven, possessed a beautiful smile.

She got dressed as a real Princess in an eye-catching red dress that was the colour of the north-western country. While Amarila let her hair down, I would tie my hair up tightly.

I looked into the mirror, standing next to Amarila and found a girl with pale-blonde hair looking back. I was wearing simple leather trousers with a red shirt on this day, below which was my belt with my throwing daggers. I could never feel safe, so that was for my protection. I had a sense of security as long as I was armed. I owned the fact that I was neither pretty nor showy; I was inconsequential, a sister who looked a few years younger than Amarila.

This wasn’t my real appearance, but a drawing made me look like this to everyone because of my safety since my childhood. This type of drawing was a secret of the child. Besides me, nobody knew about that drawing. My height and my eyes couldn’t be changed. They always stayed the same.

‘In my brother’s opinion, you are an old man, who sits under a tree in the rain,’ I heard Darven’s voice in my head and laughed.

‘Actually, sometimes I am sitting under a tree in the rain,’ I said, ‘he was wrong only about my gender and about my age,’ I answered.

‘What are you laughing at?’ Amarila asked, ‘did Darven say something?’

‘Yes, he told me his brother’s opinion about me,’ I chuckled, ‘I’m curious, how it will be to meet Prince Varian face to face. Based on Darven’s stories, Prince Varian has a good sense of humour as Darven.’

‘You are sympathizing with His Majesty,’ Amarila said and turned to me with a smile.

‘Yes, I am,’ I said, ‘but my opinion does not matter; you should take a liking to him.’

‘I doubt that it will happen,’ she sighed, ‘can you not talk King Zalar out of his plan?’

‘I’ve already tried, believe me,’ I said, ‘and I’ll keep trying. I should never let you turn your back on politics,’ I sighed.

‘You know that since her Majesty, the Queen’s death, we have become more distant with my father, and putting you into a councillor position was the best decision. You have the memories from the previous children, you have hundreds of years of knowledge in your head, and you have a constant connection with your soul-sibling, Darven. The two of you can make decisions very quickly and easily.’

‘I know,’ I said, ‘but this wedding isn’t a good idea at all.’

Someone knocked on the door. I opened it and found my foster-father, Master Terin stand in front of me, leaning on his stick. He was the soul-sibling of the previous child, Jothan and has raised me since my birth. As Darven and I were born at the same moment, Master Terin had to teach us. His eyesight had worsened in the last few years, and he could only walk with a stick. As the Child of Nature, I had already tried to cure him many times, but I never succeeded. The reason for his breakdown was unknown to me. He had grey hair and a moustache; the larkspurs next to his mouth indicated that he laughed a lot. Used to.

‘Are you ready?’ he asked. ‘It’s time to leave.’

‘We are ready, father,’ I answered. ‘We’ll meet you outside, Your Majesty,’ I said to Amarila and left her alone in the room to walk my father to the horses.

‘Are you happy to return to the south?’ I asked my father during our slow walk, ‘After all, you had moved to the north just because of me.’

‘You know that I never regret any of my decisions relating to you,’ he smiled. ‘Jothan chose you as his successor because he felt it right, and he made a good decision.’

‘We’ll see about that,’ I said, ‘I don’t feel that this wedding would bring me closer to the solution, but I trust King Zalar and you.’

‘Whatever will happen, we’ll bring the hunting of the child to an end,’ my father said. I just nodded.

We arrived at the stable. Some of King Zalar’s guards and King Zalar already waited next to the saddled horses. Amarila’s companions were laughing happily in another group next to the horses. His Majesty, King Zalar, wasn’t as tall as Darven. His milk blonde hair and beard indicated that his ancestors were born in the north.

‘Where is Amarila?’ King Zalar asked me impatiently.

‘She’ll be here in a couple of minutes, Your Majesty,’ I answered. He just sighed.

I helped my father up onto his horse. Amarila arrived in a few minutes, and with the support of two guards, she sat up onto her horse. His Majesty sat up on his own and looked down to the guards and servants standing around us.

‘Until Lady Elyana and I are away,’ he said, ‘Lord Krontus is leading my country in my name.’

‘Yes, Your Majesty,’ the people said in unison.

I walked away from my father and went to my light-coloured mare, who pastured outside the crowd. The horse didn’t have any saddle, and she waited for me only with a halter. I had raised Laviza with utmost care. She was the fastest horse in the country and probably in the mainland too. Nobody thought about her as the fastest horse based on her small size, well laid-back shoulders, and her wedge-shaped head. She never felt any saddle or bit because, with me, she never needed it. Next to my horse, a small, orange-grey songbird sat in the grass. I chose her in my childhood to be my friend for this life and named him Tiny Eagle. When my mother, Nature, decided to let her child live amongst the people, she asked for a soul-sibling from the people for each child, and she gave the child an animal friend. For me, these were Darven and Tiny Eagle, respectively. Tiny Eagle differed from his kind; he was much talented and smarter than other birds.

‘We are on our way,’ I said with my thoughts to Darven, whom I had a mental connection with since we were born.

‘We’ll wait for you,’ he said.

Whenever we wanted, we could see, hear and feel the same things as the other. We could also share our thoughts with each other no matter how far apart we were. Darven kept me from feeling lonely despite the controversy surrounding my true identity being a secret to almost everyone. Here in the north, apart from my father, only Amarila and King Zalar, and in the south, only Darven and his parents knew the truth about me. Darven’s parents had figured it out by themselves during the years.

I jumped up onto Laviza and galloped after the Princess. Tiny Eagle was flying in front of me.

We didn’t even reach the border when I gained on the team and went next to Amarila. She didn’t like the animals very much, and she didn’t even get a feel for them. Even now, she was fighting with her horse’s bit, even though her horse was a perfectly trained mare. It made the horse visibly impatient because of the unnecessary, constant pulling of the bit.

I closed my eyes for a second and took control over Amarila’s horse. I made her mare calm, and as soon as Amarila noticed the change, she was just sitting on the saddle, letting the horse carry her.

After a couple of hours of a long ride, we arrived at the southwestern Capital. The people over there were standing curiously next to the well-kept road, surrounded by old trees. It led us to huge stairs that stood before the castle. King Alred, his wife and their three children were already waiting atop the stairs, wearing orange clothes with golden stripes. The two Princes looked exactly identical, but I always could recognise Darven. It was intuitive. Both of them were tall and handsome, their dark hair and eyes indicating naturally that they had southern ancestors. As usual, Darven did not have his jacket buttoned up properly. His brother’s dressing, on the other hand, was immaculately elegant, just as Darven always relayed.

Next to Prince Varian, a huge, mixed breed brown dog was sitting and huffing. The dog must have been taught to behave appropriately; otherwise, he would run to me after recognising the child in me. King Zalar and Amarila walked to the stairs with their horses. The guards, including me, stood around them in a ring. Amarila’s companions were standing behind us. Tiny Eagle landed next to Darven’s leg. The dog looked at him but did nothing more. Only Darven recognised the little bird; others paid no heed to it.

‘As I see, your eyes and ears are here,’ he laughed, ‘using my eyes would be easier.’

‘It was his idea; Tiny Eagle is a curious bird, as you already know,’ I said inside my head.

‘I know,’ Darven replied kindly on his own.

During the years of studying, when Darven used to live up in the north, he had learned how to control his gestures to the outside world when he was talking to me. For now, nobody saw anything on his face.

A few guards helped King Zalar and Amarila off the horse. The royal hosts walked down the stairs to them. King Zalar bowed to the Queen, and the kings hugged each other. King Zalar was a few years older than his friend, but it was already not visible.

‘I’m glad to have you here, after all, my friend,’ King Alred said.

‘We are glad indeed, too,’ King Zalar said, ‘please let me introduce you to Amarila, the future Queen of your country.’

‘Your Majesties,’ Amarila performed a graceful curtsy and smiled at the twins.

‘They are my sons,’ the King gestured to the twins, ‘Varian and Darven.’

‘I’ve already heard a lot of you, Your Majesties,’ Amarila said so shyly that she barely even raised her eyes at the boys.

‘We too, Princess Amarila,’ Darven said, ‘but I have to admit that you look more pretty in real life than on the paintings and all the hearsay.’

‘Let your brother give compliments,’ I teased Darven.

‘He is absolutely incapable to do such a thing,’ he answered. ‘My brother isn’t a man of many words.’

‘It might not be the best of attitudes to possess,’ I said with a smile, ‘but he is dressing much better than you.’

‘I’m aware that based on my stories, you are sympathising with my brother,’ he teased me.

‘And you know too that it does not mean anything,’ I said, ‘the wedding is the most important part of it all.’

‘Come,’ King Alred waved to King Zalar and Amarila, ‘Let’s go inside.’

The royal families went up on the stairs. I went to the stable. As a royal groom, it was my duty to organise the horses.

‘Please walk my father into his room,’ I asked Neia, one of Amarila’s companions, ‘a servant will show you his room.’

‘Yes, Lady Elyana,’ Neia said and walked up with my father on the stairs slowly.

‘Here, you won’t have the right to give order to everyone,’ Sywelina, Amarila’s other companion, stepped up to me and smiled with hauteur, ‘here you are not a councillor, you are just a common groom.’

‘Until you live in the north, you are obliged to obey my orders,’ I said, ‘you are just a visitor here, don’t forget that.’

‘I’m not so certain,’ she smiled and walked into the castle, following the rest of the girls.

I took the royal horses together with Laviza into the stable and led the accommodation process of the northern horses. I knew which horses didn’t like each other, and from now on, I’d have less time to keep my eyes on them.

Right then, in my head, I heard whatever Darven was hearing; the two royal families were talking with each other. Based on the Queen’s decision, Amarila would have a daily walk with both Princes. She would walk with Darven before lunch and with Prince Varian after lunch before making her decision.

Just then, the local stable boys brought a beautiful, black stallion into the middle of the stable, who pulled his left rear foot. Based on my memories from Jothan, he used to have a similar horse when he was hiding here in the south. The black horses were very popular here; they were bred for the royal family.

‘That horse is lame in the left rear leg,’ I said and stepped up to the stallion; the boy waited next to me.

I touched the stallion’s leg, and it was indeed heaved.

‘For a couple of days, he should do nothing but rest. Don’t take him anywhere,’ I said, ‘I’ll check on him every day.’

‘Yes, miss,’ the groom said and led the stallion into his place before leaving the stable.

With my abilities, I could heal the horse, but these small injuries didn’t require any interventions, so I left them to heal naturally.

I took Laviza into her place and went in search of an apple to feed her. Just like the other horses, she liked apples very much. Luckily, in the corner of the stable, one huge bucket stood filled with apples. I took some pieces and walked back to Laviza to feed her.

‘Would you like me to prepare Sundown, Your Majesty?’ I heard an unknown stable-boy’s voice from behind me.

‘Yes,’ His Majesty answered. Based on his voice, he must be Prince Varian, I thought.

My hands were full of apples, and I couldn’t turn to His Majesty, but I saw from the corner of my eye that the boy was taking the lame horse out of his place to brush him. If he doesn’t notice that the horse is lame, it will lead to a bigger injury for the poor horse, so I decided to warn His Majesty. I didn’t know right then if it was the ideal thing to do, but I thought that sooner or later, we would need to introduce ourselves to each other. Based on Darven’s stories, we might even become friends, so I decided to go for it.

‘If I can give you an advice....’ I said after turning around, ‘Will you kindly let the horse rest?’

‘Excuse me?’ His Majesty reacted with a bit more anger than I expected.

‘Your horse is lame in the left rear leg,’ I explained calmly, ‘I saw when the stable-boy took him.’

‘Do you know who you are talking to?’ It was here that I discovered that the Prince was a bit of a lofty figure, so I turned back.

It was startling that he was Darven’s perfect reflection, though in his perfectly buttoned jacket, he was a bit overdressed for a simple ride. Just as Darven had already told me, the two guards stood behind him; they were loyally following him everywhere all the time. His big, brown dog felt that I was his friend and came to me for a short fondling, so I patted him.

Our first discussion with