She was already packing her bags, the note was written and her locket he had given her with it. It sat on the desk at the far side of her chambers.

She was leaving and she wasn’t coming back until she was strong enough to defeat the _king_.

It had been a week since Nila awoke from her nightmare, shaking, sweat dripping from her and Orif calmly cooing her back to sleep.

He was good to her, too good. He didn’t ask about the nightmare as in time he learnt she hates reliving them, reliving the pain again when she knows it’s already coming to her.

He didn’t know that her waves of terror come from a dark place, a place where dreams are just trailers of the things to come.

They started out simple like any normal dream, Orif pricked his finger on a thorn whilst picking her the most purest rose in the wild fae forest. They weren’t supposed to be there, no one was. There were monsters, creatures that had been around for centuries capable of ending your life as quick as Orif had plucked the rose from its bush.

Upon picking the moon white rose and pricking his finger a drop of blood fell to the floor. Once it had fallen all the remaining blooming roses still on the bush turned a deathly black. The darkness spread sending shadows to other parts of the forest. An evergreen tree just ready for harvest wilted and died in seconds of the shadows reaching it. Somewhere in the distance Nila heard the crack of thunder and a deafening screech as what sounded like an ancient creature succumbing to the shadows echoed through the forest. Which was impossible as not even a legion could take one down and they’ve tried.

Nila woke up as soon as she heard the screeching, in an empty bed. Of course it was empty, she hadn’t asked Orif to stay with her until after _that_ nightmare. The nightmare that changed everything.

…

She had arranged to meet Orif just outside of the border of the wild forest. They knew that his guards were too feared to go that close, and my attendants weren’t agile enough to keep following me through the thick forces of nature surrounding the forest. Almost like a natural blockade. With weaving vines, thorns sharp as daggers and thickets for miles.

She met Orif and he wrapped her up in her arms and spun her around, putting her back on her feet with a gentle kiss on her forehead.

“Took you long enough”’ he poked fun.

“Unlike some people, _I_ can’t glide over the harsh terrain to get here”, she jabbed back.

See Orif was a king, well soon to be. A title which came with special powers and abilities. One of which was flying, he unlocked it when he was 12. Which is when he’d flown right into Nilas greenhouse taking out most of the glass when he did. Her parents were furious and demanded his father the Late king of light make him stay and fix it. And he did. Three months later and the green house was fixed, even better than it was before. Her parents were happy and sent him on his way, even paying him for his work. Her parents like to act harsh and unwavering across the kingdoms for appearances but they treated Orif like a second son whilst he had stayed in their kingdom. They even gave him a room in the Castle. Which meant that Nila had three months to be intrigued at the boy who could fly, then annoyed at the boy who stole her parents attention wanting to learn more of Light Kingdom, then she slowly came to love him as a brother- as if he wasn’t going to leave at the end of summer. She was wrong.

As agreed he had left to go back to his kingdom however he never left her. Scheduling secret visits to each others realm, and meeting points where they knew no one could see them. Just like today, however he wasn’t that cute, goofy 12 year old anymore. He was 18 and had responsibilities now, in fact he had a whole kingdom now.

They talked for an hour trailing the border of the forest, seeing hares jumping around as they went. And then Orif took her hand and did it. He had entered the forest, the forest that no one entered, not if you had any sense or will to live. She stopped on the edge of the border not letting him pull her in.

He turned back to look at her, head tilted “are you afraid, Night?”, he grinned mocking her.

“No, Orif I am thinking of your people, your kingdom and what they will do to me if I bring back the arm I am holding instead of you!”, she whispered back in a hiss, clearly annoyed at his stupidity.

He chucked, he actually chucked at her, he knows the dangers of this place everyone in the 8 realms did.

“Nila, I am a king, I have the power of the Sun in my pocket and my trusty side kick who knows how to run”.

That was true ever since the passing of his father, he was flooded with all the power the late king had attained in his many years. He was in a sense a God to his people. Which is why she was so against this. His peoples power came from him, their whole source of life was linked to him! The only other heir to the power was his brother, who had abandoned the kingdom long before Orif was born, that’s why the king and queens had another son. It was uncommon in the kingdom of light to have more than one heir as it splits the power of the kingdom in two.

He could see all the emotions on her face, like studying a painting. “Nila, my corination is tonight. After tonight I will officially take on every power my father had _and_ responsibility. After tonight I cannot be alone, I can not be wreckless and I can not choose who I spend my time with”.

He was right, after tonight he will be tied completely with his kingdom, their life bonded to him once they bow to recognise he is their leader, and they are his subjects. his subjects who are free to wield when need, as was his power to them. After tonight they couldn’t meet up without attendants and guards, after tonight he would become a different person. He would become a man.

She took the hand she hadn’t realised she dropped whilst piecing everything together and continued into the forest, dragging him in her stead. The forest had a winding river that ran through it, with no end in sight, there were strange birds sitting atop a tree branch bending their necks together that almost made a heart from their beaks.

Orif lifter her up and sat her down on a fallen over tree trunk and showed her why he had brought her here of all places. He bent his knees and arched his back and with alll his might cast his arms out infront of him and a bust of pure, golden light errupted from his hands. It was the most beautiful thing Nila had seen. Next, He was radiating a shield, it surrounded him with an outline of gold, glowing around him almost. He looked like, like a _God_.

He turned to her, eyes wide open, panting for air, it must have took a large amount of energy to wield that type of power. Nila turned to the tree she was sat on and traced a symbol into its rough bark. From it, the bark grew anew, flowers bloomed in a circle around the symbol she traced and with one push in the center of it, it dipped making a bowl which filled with water. She grabbed a leaf from a near by tree and used it to gather water from the bark for him. He seemed more than greatful when taking it from her and gulping it down. Even though it was only a tiny display of her powers he seemed impressed.

About an hour past and they worked on his stances, trying to get him to not look hunched over when shooting his bursts of light. Trying not to look so weakened by it. After all the coronation was supposed to be a display of power to his people, to show he can protect the kingdom.

After a while they had settled on a normal duelling stance and emitting only half the power he had and instead put on more of a showcase to catch their attention. This way Orif will look more collected and not like he would keel over any second after wielding his powers.

After she had helped him with his training they reached a bush of white roses. As white as the moon. She had seen them before, where had she seen them before? Her palace doesn’t keep roses in their garden, something didn’t feel right. She took a step back as Orif plucked one of the roses from its bed and turned to her with it.

He stretched his hand with the rose towards her for her to take. She was a fool, how could she be afraid of a rose of all things, she stepped forward to take it from him and Orif’s face scrunched up in pain as he winced and dropped the rose. One of the roses thorns had pricked him and she watched as a single golden drop of blood dropped to the ground and landed in a puddle.

She took his hand and dragged him away from the bush. She remembered.

Although this time the roses remaining on the bush didn’t turn black, there were no shadows looming over the forest at all, in fact the sun was high above them scaring any away…