Chapter Text
The once lively forest was struck with a deathly stillness—not even the hum of leaves moving in the wind could be heard. In this stillness stood a man, the Nameless King of a land so grand. The roots of his kingdom spread far and wide, they would've continued to spread too if… If it wasn't for his curse.
Underneath him, laid out in the soft grass was a faery. Moonlight spilled over his calm expression, caressing the strands of hair that once shone under the warm caress of the sun. His face, once warm to the touch, once filled with serenity was growing cold.
Cold like the blade which had been struck deep in his chest.
The nature around two men weeped in despair, the grass tried to curl around the laying faery, the birds didn't dare come closer nor sing the mourning song for him. For how could they? How could they when the man to whom this sword belonged still stood over their beloved king?
In this stillness, as everything waited—waited to see if the faery would rise again. Hoping—hoping that this was a trick of an eye, an illusion, a jest gone too far. The Nameless King seemed to wait too. Would he strike the faery again if he moved? Was he waiting until the grass underneath them was completely dyed a crimson red? Would he twist the sword deeper—paint this once peaceful forest in the same color as the heavy red cloak on his shoulder? Was this just the beginning? Would he seek out others too?
Would he ever be satisfied with the bloodshed he had brought upon this sacred land?
His glowed hand gripped his mighty sword which had led him to many victories in the past. Slowly he removed it from the faery’s chest, glistening blood dripping from the sharp blade.
The faery King made no noise. His face didn't twist with pain. His chest didn't stutter from the shock. He was as still as before—if it weren't for the blood pooling from his chest one may think that he was simply sleeping, lost somewhere in the realm of dreams. Perhaps he was. Perhaps he has managed to escape somewhere peaceful before he met his end.
The human King looked up at the tree in front of them. A great oak, still too young, was starting to wilt. It was meant to shield the people and creatures of this forest, to grow for a thousand years.
And now it was starting to wilt—mourning the loss of its other half.
Was it mercy or was it anger when the human King took his blood stained sword and pierced it through the great oak tree? Was it a mercy to end one's suffering? Was it a mercy to let it join its other half in death? The creatures of the forest didn't know—they didn't know what would come next. The fear was paralyzing. How can one mourn when the cause of so much death still stood rooted in his spot, now having taken another life.
How could he have let a man like this into the heart of their forest?
The sword was pulled out again. The trees nearby expected the human King to plunge it again. Over and over again until there was nothing left of their young protector. After all that's what humans did, they took without a care in the world—without thinking how such greed could affect others.
Humans should've never been allowed in here. Humans didn't belong here. Humans shouldn't have taken their poor King's heart, melding it to their desires.
The sword fell to the ground, slipping from the King's hand. For a few beats, a length of a flower blooming in the sun, he stood still. Once he bent down he didn't pick up his weapon, he didn't even look at it.
His knees sunk into the grass which was starting to wilt underneath him. It was only a matter of time until the whole forest was affected by his slaughter. With one roll of his shoulders his red cloak fell off of him and into his hands. To the forest’s surprise he covered the blonde faery with it, hiding his cooling body from the world.
How could he? How could he pretend to mourn the man that got killed by his own blade? How dare he do such an act of kindness after killing the faery's tree too? Was it mockery? Was he truly so heartless to hide the body? Or was it shame—was he ashamed of what he had done?
The King continued to sit there for a long time. Until the sun's rays started to peak through the leaves of the forest. Until the forest started to wake up. Until his crime would be known to every living creature in it.
What could he possibly be waiting for?
The forest didn't know. The plants didn't know. The animals didn't know.
Yet, it seemed like once the sun fully showed her face he found it. For he finally rose from the dead ground. He didn't spare another look to the body of the faery, instead turning to walk a path he had walked a thousand times before—a path etched so deeply within his heart that even one day as all of his memories escape him, he will remember it.
A path he will never walk again.
With one last step, he passed the boundary between their worlds. Cutting the connection they once held. Leaving his cloak and sword behind. Perhaps a gift. Perhaps a mockery to the forest itself. Or perhaps an admission of guilt.
No one knew why he did what he did. No one will ever know, that secret will die with his cold heart.
But one thing was certain.
The Nameless King was nameless no more.
✧✧✧
Once upon a time there lived a young boy, a prince of a land so grand its roots spread far and wide. It just so happened that in a few days would be his tenth birthday—the first milestone of his life. His family, the King and Queen, had taken him to his favorite place in preparation for his big day. The countryside estate where he was free to roam and explore without a care in the world.
Of course, he still had his retainers following him, he was the crown prince after all. But no one can tame such a curious child. A child who would spend days deep within the library of the castle, trying to learn everything his tiny hands could grab onto. A child who deeply yearned to experience the adventures of the heroes in his books. A child who yearned to see the world not just through the pages of his books but with his very eyes.
He was turning ten soon. Turning ten was a big deal! It meant that he was one step closer to inheriting his family's power, one step closer into entering a world that will completely change his life. The excitement he felt with every passing second was too much to bear.
Even now, in their holiday estate he gazed longingly as a small, wooden box. It was locked and would stay locked until he was of age, until he whispered his name into the golden lock protecting the artefact inside.
The family heirloom.
Everyone had one. His mother. His father. His aunts. Everyone of his blood was blessed by the gods themselves to carry out a divine purpose—he didn't know what his would be yet but he was excited to find out. To finally hold the gem which would whisper to him, which would be his greatest companion for the rest of his life.
Which would allow him to do magic. Real magic, just like in the books he found himself lost in so many times.
“Your highness!” Came a voice behind him, completely out of breath. It was one of his retainers, a person meant to keep watch over him. But he was quite slippery—like a snake always slithering away to any crack in the wall to escape their watchful gazes.
“What do you think my purpose will be?” Asked the young prince, giving the chest in front of him a poke. It felt warm to the touch.
“Ah… whatever his highness’ purpose might be I'm sure he will fulfill it with great success!”
The young prince puffed out a breath—annoyed. It was the same song and dance everyone always told him. The gods knew best. You can't predict your purpose. Whatever your purpose is you will definitely excel!
He was growing tired of it. He had been tired of it for a long while—it wasn't entertaining at all!
“I want to go outside.” He said, finally turning around from his precious box. “I want to see the forest.” He decided after a few moments of thinking.
“Your highness… the forest is a dangerous place for a young boy like yourself! Please, how about we walk the gardens instead?” His retainer offered to him.
But soon he won't be a boy anymore! Ten was plenty old enough to walk the forest! He had seen the gardens more times than he could count. He could name every plant in them and how to take care of them. He craved for something exciting, something new.
He wanted to run around in the forest as well, just like the heroes in his stories. He wanted to discover something, to breathe in the air of the unknown. Of an adventure.
“Forget it.” He replied with a wave of his hand. But he himself didn't forget it, how could he? How could he possibly pass up the opportunity such as this? Who knew when they'd return to this place again once his birthday had passed? Who knew if he'd ever again get a chance to pretend to be a hero of a magical story of his own design?
He watched his retainer let out a breath in relief. Such a fool to be tricked by a child like himself—he wondered why people gave him their unconditional trust. Was it because he was of royal blood? Or was he himself naive to think that people trusted him so easily.
The prince wasn't sure—it didn't really matter either, he had other priorities now. With a spring in his step he walked to his room. It wasn't as grand as his room back home, it definitely lacked his many books first of all, but it was still acceptable. He looked under his bed, pulling out his training sword and shield. The sword was made out of the finest metal, it was heavy to hold yet he could do no real damage with it—it was completely dull to the touch. But it could come in handy, maybe it would even transform into a greater sword once his adventure began!
He nodded to himself, weighing both his shield and sword in his hands. He wanted to bring both, but the shield would only slow him down. It's not like there were any known monsters in the forest anyway, if there were he was sure that his family wouldn't have built their estate here. But! That didn't mean that there weren't new things to find, places to explore! The forest was vast, hiding many secrets which he was going to uncover!
The young boy at the end abandoned his shield, deciding to bring a pencil and a leather bound notebook with himself instead—he would document everything! If it goes well he could even make his own book—a book of research and adventure. Just the thought made his heart bubble up with excitement.
It wasn't hard to sneak outside, most of the guards weren't really paying attention. Who would attack the royal family in the middle of nowhere after all? He imagined that this was like a vacation for them as much as it was for him. Once he had hid away from sight—he ran. He ran as fast as his legs could carry him, all the way until he reached the edge of the forest. In front of him stood a worn out path, a line in the grass that people used to walk through. Something entirely unnatural, unofficial and yet clearly there were others just like him who felt this.
As the young prince came to a stop, his eyes, the color of the midnight sky, lit up. They gazed deep into the forest, into the exciting unknown. He felt his heart leap, like there was an invisible string pulling him forward—beckoning him to take another step.
And he did.
He walked into the forest, letting himself get immersed into the nature around him. The trees, the birds, the flowers—all the stuff he has seen in books before were now at his fingertips. He didn't dare stray from the path, he wished to follow the footsteps of the people that came before him. For if there was a path there must also be a goal at the end of it. Just where would it bring him? To a quest? To a witch's cottage? To a lake? A waterfall? Something else entirely?
He didn't know, but he craved the knowledge.
The prince walked for what felt like hours, yet his young body never grew tired. Every now and then he'd stop, taking a moment to write or sketch out whatever may have caught his eye. His little book was starting to fill up with astounding speed! Strangely, he was starting to see more and more mushrooms—once he returned he would definitely have to research the best climates for those little creatures. He wondered if any of them were edible…he was daring, yes, but he wasn't a fool to eat unknown plants or mushrooms. Still, they were pretty and were soon taking over his research.
But even these nice moments had to come to an end.
The deeper he followed the path, the darker the forest became. The tall trees were starting to cover up the sun, leaving only specks of light to illuminate his path forward. It made him pause a few times, uncertainty rising within him. Yet, despite it he persisted—he needed to see this to its end. He wanted to—
To…
…
Did he take a wrong turn? The mood around him changed in a blink of an eye. Looking down, it was like the path underneath his feet—the path he has been following for hours suddenly disappeared. And behind himself? It was like the path never existed at all! The only thing that remained unchanged were the mushrooms surrounding him.
He tried taking a few steps back, his gaze desperately seeking for the path he and many others had walked. But there was nothing other than the soft, untouched grass beneath him. He wished for an adventure and now he had one. So why did he feel like he was about to crumble from fear? Why did his chest squeeze so tight until he couldn't breathe?
How will he get home?
His breath staggered as he stopped again, looking around the forest. It would be unwise to stray from the now invisible path he had walked—but this nature… it felt like it was trying to disorient him on purpose.
There was a crack of leaves somewhere behind him. Goosebumps rose on the back of his neck at the sound—his breath stopping. His trembling hands dropped his notebook, instead pulling out his dull sword with unpolished swiftness. Quickly, he turned around, pointing his blade in the direction.
“WHO GOES THERE!” He demanded, trying to steady his sword. But if felt like even a breeze would knock it out of his hands.
Then he saw it. No… not it, him. A boy who looked to be his age. A boy with long blond hair that reached the ground, long, sharp ears and the eyes painted with the colors of the sun and sky. The boy was hiding behind a tree, his gaze curious yet careful.
“SHOW YOURSELF! I COMMAND IT!” The prince demanded. Was this another lost child or a monster trying to lure him? He didn't know what to trust anymore—this whole situation…
The other boy seemed to hesitate before emerging from his hiding spot. His long hair illuminated the space around him—no. No, it wasn't his hair that glowed. It was…
Wings.
Underneath his long golden hair the boy had a pair of glowing wings—the king the prince had never seen before. Looking at him more carefully, he wore a cloak made of long leaves that looked a little too big for him, all held together by a pretty gem. On his forehead he had a blue star.
The wings fluttered and the prince took half a step back.
“Hello…” the blond boy, the faery, said quietly. “I wish you no harm.” he continued, shifting ever so slightly to approach but the prince raised his sword higher. He wasn't a fool, he knew that creatures such as these existed, he remembered reading about them once. Faeries they were called—forest spirits, guardians of nature. There wasn't much information about them, at least he hadn't seen it before, but he knew one thing that was echoed over all the stories he had seen.
Faeries and humans never got along.
…
So why did this timid little faery look so friendly?