Kael was quiet for a long moment.
The steady hum of the tyres filled the silence between them while the countryside drifted lazily past the windows.
"I have never told anyone this story," he admitted quietly.
Aiden glanced at him before returning his attention to the road.
"You don't have to."
"I know."
Kael watched the landscape outside for a while longer.
For centuries, those memories had belonged to him alone. They had remained untouched, tucked away in a corner of his mind where even he rarely ventured. Speaking of them felt strangely intimate, almost as though he were inviting Aiden into a place no one else had ever been.
He trusted Aiden.
That realization settled over him more gently than he expected.
"I think..." he said softly. "I would like to."
He closed his eyes.
**********
Arith and I are wandering through the eastern forest with no destination in mind. We have spent the better part of the morning arguing over which of us knows the woods better.
She insists I only think I know every path because I was born nearby.
I insist she cheats by asking the trees for directions. She does not deny it.
Somewhere along the way, she catches sight of something glittering between the trees and disappears without a word.
I sigh to myself "Arith " I call.
Silence answers me and I shake my head.
She will eventually remember she left me behind. Or so I tell myself.
I continue walking until I realise every path looks exactly the same.
The forest is peaceful. Tall trees stretch high above me, their branches weaving together into a green canopy that allows only ribbons of sunlight to reach the ground. Wildflowers grow in thick patches beneath my feet, and somewhere nearby I can hear running water.
I am trying to decide whether I have walked in a circle when a gentle voice speaks behind me.
"'You've walked past that tree three times.'"
I turn and everything else disappears.
A young man stands a few paces away with a woven basket resting against his hip.
He is... beautiful.
His hair is the colour of warm sand beneath the afternoon sun. It falls in soft waves around his face, moving gently whenever the breeze finds it. His eyes are so dark they appear almost black, yet they are filled with a warmth I have never seen before. His features are delicate, almost feminine, and his build is slender enough that I briefly wonder whether a strong wind might carry him away.
He is wearing the pale blue robes of a priest in training.
He smiles. It is the most beautiful smile I have ever seen.
I realise, rather embarrassingly, that he has spoken to me and I have not answered. "I'm sorry?"
His smile grows. "You've been walking in circles."
I glance over my shoulder. He is right.
"'I was making certain the forest hadn't changed while I wasn't looking.'" I'd be damned If I let this beauty know that I am lost
He laughs.
The sound is light and effortless, carrying the same gentle rhythm as flowing water. I have never heard a voice like his before. Even his laughter seems to have a melody hidden inside it.
"Has it?" he asks.
"Thankfully not."
He shifts the basket into both hands "The spring is this way."
I blink "You know where it is?"
"I come here every week." Without waiting for an answer, he turns and starts walking.
I follow him. It is only after several moments of listening to him point out flowers, birds and little woodland creatures that I realise I still do not know his name.
"What should I call my guide?"
He glances back over his shoulder.
"Eryn."
The name suits him perfectly.
"'And you?'"
For reasons I cannot explain, introducing myself as Prince Kael suddenly feels... unnecessary."'Kael.'"
He smiles as though that is all he needs to know. We spend the rest of the walk talking.
Mostly, he talks.
He tells me which flowers bloom only after rain, which birds return every spring, and which fish hide beneath the smooth stones at the bottom of the stream.
He notices everything.
The world itself seems brighter simply because he is looking at it.
When we finally reach the spring, I realise I have forgotten all about finding Arith.I find myself hoping I will see Eryn again.
I do.
I return to the spring a few days later.Then a few days after that.
Soon, neither of us pretends I am visiting for the spring anymore.
We spend hours talking beside the water. Sometimes we speak until the sun begins to set.
Sometimes we say very little at all.
Neither of us seems to mind.
That's the beginning of kaels back story. Those who are curious about kael, buckle up.