“There once was a little boy who played within his garden

Flowers and trees all prepared for him to play

Little did he know there was something bigger out there

So he believed all of it was fair”

“Then came the day of his bearing

All folks of life came in greeting

To make cheer and folly for all to remember and see

And so did the little boy who also sang in glee”

“Then came in a little man, bringing him a story

Of the great forest beyond the walls of his garden

Of the people who danced in the air

And of the more joy to see out there”

“And so he came out to see it, did he mama?” Arlou asked as he interrupted his mother's elegant voice upon his cherished song.

“And yes, he did. The little boy went to see,” his mother replied.

“That’s good then,” Arlou claimed. Under the canopy of the rosy cherry tree, little boy Arlou sat atop the lap of his mother. Huddled in her arms, as the queen had sung the lyric, the prince played with a fallen fruit. He tried eating it because it was his favorite, but it only tasted bitter and dry.

“Why is it good dear?” she asked when Arlou’s question lapsed the song.

“Because,” Arlou lurched forward. He stood from his mother, he looked at her and smiled when the wind blew little strands of the queen’s long curly black hair. Overlapping her light skin, Conrade glowed in her beauty. The prince then turned to the grassy field in front where they had basked, the snowy mountain peaks stood in pride miles away. He continued, “outside is always great.”

Noticing her son’s elation as he ran, jumped, and rolled amongst the spring greenery, she grinned as well. “I see.”

Moments alone under the solitary tree in the field, his mother continued the song but had leaned to a melodic hum. Arlou had laid not far from his mother when she finally asked, “would you like to share our place, Arlou?”

He looked at his mother and said, “well… this place won’t be ours anymore if we shared.”

“But they would be family,” the queen explained as she softly patted her flat belly.

“You are expecting mama?” Arlou rose to his feet. When his mother nodded, he immediately hugged her. “I’m going to be a big brother!”

Embracing her son, the queen continued her hum. The soft brush of the wind across the meadow also rejoiced at the mother and son’s silent comfort.

“But you have to promise, Novron, that you will protect them.”

“Of course mama. It is my duty as an older.” There was a slight sadness to his mother’s gaze when Arlou decraled to her. It had subsequently made him fret. “What’s wrong mama? Are you going to leave us again?”

“I have to take the journey, dear.”

“But what if this time, you won’t come back?”

They were always quiet, owls are, as one flew silently to them. His mother paused as she noticed and reached out a waiting hand. The giant bird landed gradually on the queen’s arm.

“Hello Monowa. It is wonderful to meet you,” the queen said as Arlou stared at the giant bird in awe.

“Do not be sad my prince for neither of us will if Monowa is there to guide us.” Arlou turned to the figure who as well, like it's familiar, had trod to them quietly. “You can try and follow her and she will lead you back if you’d like,” he said to Arlou.

He was a familiar man. Although his dark skin tone had now dressed in a very white cloak, he had always worn his father’s colors as one had been to advise the king. “Trully, High Adjunct Dabgha?”

His short curly silver hair bounced in tandem as the High Adjunct nodded at him. Daghba then said to Monowa, “dear friend, will you please guide our prince back home?” Monowa’s yellowish eyes closed and opened again as she immediately flew up to the sky from the queen’s perch.

Daghba had only bowed shortly to Arlou as the prince turned to the bird then back to his mother. “If you can follow her, I can follow her too,” the queen said.

“Will you mama?” Arlou asked.

“I will dear. Now go!” the queen prodded and promptly Arlou bolted out of the tree's canopy. He ran as fast as he could while trying to travel in unison with Monowa. The owl was flying gently enough when Arlou had wanted to glimpse back at the cherry tree.

“Don’t look back, brave prince,” a female voice spoke from the heavens. Arlou instantly stared at Monowa, flying brilliantly white in the blue sky. “There is someone waiting for you at home.”

Finally remembering his little sister who walks under the halls of snakes, Arlou’s speed perked. The last thing he had remembered was following Monowa when he awoke in the arms of a very mystical woman.

Arleous huffed in great relief as the boy woke in manners of fervent coughing and heavy breaths. Lady Sahturna sat in discomfort beside Arlou as she continued healing the battered prince. It was normal to find the lad questioning the bug-like humanoid creature when he finally gathered himself and asked, “what are you?”

“Rude.” Sahturna replied in Etharini. Her horns, although sharp and pointed in the glaze of the candle light, and an arching back with fastened black wings fluffed in a short annoyance, could not deter her smooth and commanding voice. Sweat now trickled her very dark skin as she laid another one of her many sharp arms at the prince’s wounded chest. “For a kid like you to luckily survive death, you are very rude.”

“Death?” Arlou wavered a moment to the ceiling before realizing Arleous stood in the dim room with them. “I saw mama, my king. And even High Adjunct Daghba,” the prince said roughly before falling back into unconsciousness. “Mama…” Arlou echoed silently.

Arleous constricted in restrained remorse at the name.

Faerian magic was always different. There were no threads of eth that ran along wounds as they healed. It only had deliberate force for Arlou’s tissues and bones to reform out of sheer will and nature. “There, that will take him back to Entherah permanently if no one tries to kill him again.” Sahturna stood as she pulled the prince’s blanket to properly protect him from the elements. “I just wondered who had let him go. Good thing he survived with your eth, as expected of an Acolyte.”

“You know the man,” Arleous replied as he strode away from the bed and towards the table of scattered bloody bandages, anesthetics, and other medical apparatuses. “Bloody shithead can even hold a grudge on a child. And the same prick has the court under his thumb, I could not trust anyone else.”

“I heard of the attack a week ago. But to allow him to hurt the boy was ignorant of you.” Sahturna stood and was now gathering her salves and poultices. They were alone and the fae was not holding back. “Could have protected him from the start.”

“What was I supposed to do? Arleous hissed. “I forfeited this life when she left. I have nothing!”

“You have a kingdom,” Sahturna declared assertively and calmly as she glared at the monarch. “Emperor Temeres had sent me in order to get your head out of that grave, you keep calling for a response. She left you a world deserving of rebirth. We could say you betrayed her trust.”

No response was returned when Sahturna was beginning to leave the room. Before the door, she advised, “protect the boy regardless of what he does not have. Enthah will make a way after.”

“Thank you,” was all Arleous could manage when the lady closed the door in delicate secrecy. He turned to the boy that lay before the messy bed. Memories of fear, blood, and death scoured along his head, not a single voice of the Thravadin echoing amongst it.