Seren ran through the forest. The trees were thick and it slowed them down to wind around them or leap over the roots. Their heart was pounding in their head and their throat was dry. But they didn’t stop running, they couldn’t. They could hear the echoes of the knights crashing through the brush after them and it made them run as hard as they could.

A hand reached out and grabbed Seren and threw them hard into a tree. Covering their mouth before they could scream. Standing over them was the hunter. Dressed in the shadow of the trees, he watched the trees. Seren held perfectly still, but they weren’t as still as he was able to stand. After a long while of silence, the hunter released them and backed up. Seren stood up and rubbed the place where he grabbed them.

“Thank you, I think.” Seren said. Watching the man curiously.

“Welcome, name’s Eoin.” He turned and started through the forest. Seren looked about and shrugged. Hoping the hunter was heading for some kind of town or something.

“You heading for a village?” Seren asked from behind him.

“Nope. we don’t live in any place we can be found.” Eoin said. Holding a branch back for them. Seren passed through the trees and stopped to watch him.

“Gotcha,” Seren nodded. “Is there a village nearby?”

“Not one the Queen won’t search.” Eoin said. He passed by Seren and kept walking. Seren felt their heart drop at the thought.

“How far are the borders?” Seren jogged lightly after him.

“You could come crash with us for a while,” Eoin stopped and Seren had to jump to stop from running into him. “If you don’t mind pulling your weight a little.” Seren opened their mouth to speak but nothing came out.

` “Huh?” They managed finally.

“Yeah, we got the room for one more. We collect all kinds there.” Eoin shrugged and placed his hand squarely on Seren’s shoulder. “Never had royalty though.”

“Sooo…. You want me to live with you and I just become a novelty for you?” Seren asked.

“Hey we’ll feed you, clothe you, keep you safe, and even teach you to fight!” Eoin shrugged with a half-cocked grin. “Pretty damn good deal just for being born.” Seren placed their hands on their hips and narrowed their eyes at Eoin.

“Is that it? Or is there more you aren’t telling me?” Seren asked. “You did mention ransoming me.”

“Oh yeah, I did.” He said thoughtfully, he scratched at his chin then shrugged. “So I did. But where else you gonna go?” Seren stared at him, trying to keep their stern gaze up. They dropped their shoulders and rolled their eyes.

“Fine!” They conceded. “Fine, lead the way.” Eoin nodded.

“I will,” He said and he turned and kept leading through the forest with Seren reluctantly following behind him.

Outside the forest, the Queen had returned to her golden carriage and was smugly waiting. A second coach had been fetched and once the knights dragged Seren from the trees, she would be free of the nuisance once and for all. The Queen inspected her painted nails. Taking the time to feel each one before the wait got to her.

“What is taking so long?” She huffed. She launched herself through the carriage door where a small group was also waiting.

“What is the hold up! Where is Seren?” The Queen demanded.

“Th-they’re still looking, your majesty.” The carriage driver shook in his boots as he answered. Wary of the Queen. “They haven’t found a hint of them.”

“Bring out the hunters! The trackers! Anyone and everyone who can find them!” The Queen yelled.

“W-we did,” The driver said quietly.

“What!”

“We called out everyone we could think of. Even guides that know every inch of the forest.” The driver said a little louder. The Queen looked up at the forest with new irritation painted on her face.

“Send word throughout all the cities, villages, anywhere people are living I want it known.” The Queen was yelling, demanding everyone’s attention. “Whoever brings Seren in, dead or alive, can name their reward!”

Far from the reach of the Queen’s voice. Seren was walking so close to Eoin their clothes were nearly touching.

“So how far is this place?” Seren asked.

“Not far now,” Eoin assured them.

“Who are these other people you supposedly live with?” Seren asked.

“Every kingdom needs a good underground mercenary guild,” Eoin said with a careless air. “Not that there’s much of a need for one in Aderyntan. The Queen’s not shy about getting rid of unwanted company. Plus with the eye for an eye laws most people don’t have much of a need for people to quietly disappear.”

“Cept the Queen wanted me to disappear,” Seren mentioned.

“Yeah, tough break kid.” Eoin said without any hint of emotion in his voice. “Happens to the best of us or whatever.” Seren felt their chest squeezing as their mother’s actual words sunk in.

“I don’t understand. Why though? Why all this?” Seren grabbed a branch and snapped it off the tree and threw it with all their might.

“That’s a question you might never have an answer to.” Eoin led Seren under a few low trees. “So you might as well make your peace with not knowing.”

“I hate that answer,” Seren said to Eoin’s face as they passed under the trees and behind the curtain of vines. Eoin shrugged and ducked through the vines himself.

“We all got problems, your majesty.” Eoin mocked bowing to them as they travelled down the well kept road in a tunnel of trees.

“Don’t call me that.” Seren said, They crossed their arms and followed Eoin down the tunnel. Their thoughts were as tangled as the roots beneath their feet. Trying to reason out what the reasons were but no answer that they could think of was satisfying enough for them.

“It’s just. It’s not okay.” They said finally. A stress headache building behind their eyes.

“It isn’t. But that’s the way it is.” Eoin shrugged. He stopped and waited for Seren to catch up. He stood triumphantly with his hands tucked into his belt. Seren walked up beside him and stopped.

“Your majesty,” Eoin said grandly.

“Don’t call me that,”

“Welcome home!” Eoin grabbed the bushes before the two of them and swept them back. The bushes were only a prop that was easy to roll aside. Beyond it was a large meadow with a grand three story house planted in the center of it. Surrounding the house were sectioned garden beds that were alive with plants. From vegetables to fruit bearing trees. The lattice covered house was covered in blooming flowers that climbed up the house’s sides. The sight was more impressive than Seren had been expecting, but didn’t quite compare to the castle they’d been born and raised in.

“Probably not as lavish as you’re used to, but it’s home” Eoin passed the bush and ushered them through as well.

“It’s not.” Seren said as they walked through and let Eoin move the bush back into its place. “But if I’ve learned anything it’s that you can’t measure the worth of a home by the amount of cold empty rooms.” Eoin raised his eyebrows thoughtfully.

“Hadn’t thought of it like that,” He said, turning and heading for the house. “Let me show you around.” Eoin showed Seren through the gardens, pointing out the sections and the neat handwriting on the labels. He explained how they grew their own crops and sold the extra in the nearby village in exchange for animal goods like dairy, eggs, and meat. After the beds of vegetables and fruits was an extensive herbal garden. The focus of the garden seemed mostly remedial, Eoin explained that different politics and potions were made from it and also sold or given to the villagers who were ill and in need.

There was a small stable house that was empty. Eoin pointed to where a horse and cart were usually kept but was absent with the rest of the house’s inhabitants. Eoin assumed that the others were probably out at the market and would be back later that night. Eoin led Seren into the house. They were stopped dead in their tracks. Everything inside the house hit them like a solid wall they’d run head on into. The house opened up into a living room that looked like a tornado had come through the house. Clothes, books, dishes, papers, jars, and other things Seren couldn’t identify covered every surface.

“Don’t mind the mess,” Eoin strut in with his boots on. Stepping over the things with no care for them. The smell that was lingering around the living room and came barreling out of the kitchen was enough to make a skunk rip off its nose. Seren couldn’t bring themself to walk in through the threshold. Eoin stopped at the end of the hall and looked back at Seren still in the doorway.

“C’mon, I’ll show you your room.” He called. “What are you waiting for? An invitation?” Seren drew in a sharp breath, holding it and carefully walking around the items on the ground. They had no idea what they were stepping on or if they were even close to the ground. Around the corner Eoin walked up a crowded tunnel that once was a staircase. A few items avalanching down to the bottom and bouncing into the mountains of other things that crowded the hall floors. Seren swallowed and prayed they’d live to see tomorrow. They bent onto their hands and knees to crawl through the tunnel and up the stairs. At the top Eoin was leaning against a wall waiting for them.

“So these first few rooms are sewing rooms, game rooms, music room and a bath room.” Eoin pointed to the doors as they passed. The room’s doors were wide open. Packed so full they were unable to be closed. Another tunnel stairway and Eoin led Seren up into the third floor. This was the only hall clean enough for doors to be shut

“These are the bedrooms. As we pass;” Eoin took a breath and then began walking at a quick pace. Pointing at doors; “Mykolas, Aurora, Lucero and Iekika, Kyi and this will be your room, lastly my and Pandora’s room.” Eoin turned and opened the door that was to belong to Seren. The door didn’t even open all the way due to the amount of junk inside the room. Eoin frowned and Seren covered their mouth and tried to hold back the tears of discouragement.

“Uh, hang on.” He said shutting the door. “I’ll, uh, why don’t you go.. Pick out some new clothes? We got some spares in the sewing room. See if anything fits and mark your name. Uh. Then go explore a bit, while I fix this up.” Eoin shooed Seren off and they slid down the stairway tunnel to the second floor. They picked their way across the mess and into the sewing room.

Clothes were everywhere on every surface. Little patches were sewn on the insides, some with names, some without. Seren found a pair of pants and slipped them on. They shook their head at the mess and started to pick things up but stopped. They turned and went back to the first floor where the smell was the worst. They snatched up a cleaning brush laying forgotten on one of the surfaces and cracked their joints...