Cutting through the vast silence of the evening, the cool air whipped past through my clothing as if it were a thin cloth instead of the vast garments I was adorned with. Grumbling, alone, and exhausted I walked towards the garden. The candles hadn't been lit leading to it, but I'd been in no mood to call for assistance. Allowing my eyes to adjust I searched for the benches that lie at the heart of the garden. With the wind rushing past every now and then, it wasn't the most ideal time to be out and about, but anything would've suited me better than staying inside. The incessant chatter was too much.

Spying a clean bench I eased into it relaxing fully. My exhaustion caught up with me as I struggled to keep my eyes open. Far off noises prevented me from fully closing them though, and I sat up straight surveying my surroundings.

"Hello?" I uttered while getting up slowly. The second I had my footing I was thrown to the stone tiled ground. Heavy breathing could be heard above me, and as I turned my head the fear set within me.

I was pinned down, by something with a gaping maw and a row of sharp dagger-like teeth. Its eyes started at me with an intensity I wasn't sure was possible until now. Even in the darkness it's emerald eyes shone proudly, with nothing less than intent to kill.

"I'm not too sure if you can, uh, understand me, but I'd really appreciate if you didn't crush me."

As if responding to my words, the beast pressed down harder. A sharp cough escaped me as I struggled to breathe.

"Well, if you can…c..clearly understand..mfe" I had no time to finish as it used its large clawed hands and threw me across. Landing on hard stone for a second time took its toll on me once I tried to get up.

"So you're just going…ugh…to toss me around like this? And for what?"

"Because it's more than likely you're fault that I'm like this!" The voice barely matched anything I'd been expecting, as it was high, and feminine. Her anger only exceeded my surprise and left me floundering for words.

"What are you talking about? And how did you even find me here?"

"Whatever form this is…whatever form you gave me, I have better senses because of it. So…change me back your majesty!"

"Who do you think you are to order me around like that? What makes you think I'll help you at all?" Dusting myself off, I stood my ground. She may have been equipped with all the tools necessary to kill me, but I was never the type to submit to the wishes of others easily.

"You're a king! A king is supposed to help their people right? You got me into this mess so you damn well better believe you're going to get me out of it."

"You're…one of my citizens?" Any amount of anger I had dissipated at that moment.

"Yes!"

I exhaled deeply and kept my gaze down at the stone floor. I laughed at the odd situation I'd seemed to have gotten myself into, saying,

"I guess I have no choice but to help you. But this I can assure you, If I cursed you, I'd have remembered. I've never seen anyone with eyes like yours."

"Figures…I guess I'll just be staying here then." I only heard her mumble but couldn't make out what she said. With her back to me her tail swished, probably as a by-product of her rage. She seemed to be going in the direction of the castle and I followed a few paces behind her.

"I said I'd help you not that I'd…I guess you can stay, but this is going to be awfully difficult to hide you."

"In a castle? You have corridors upon corridors filled with doors that lead to rooms you've probably never even seen."

"The contempt you hold for me is so visible I could probably grasp it in the air. Ignoring the fact that you're speaking to me in a completely inappropriate tone, I'm not worried about location, I'm worried about the servants."

She stopped, and turned her head towards me to say with a venomous bite "Your Majesty…you have magic right? Why don't you just use that."

"It doesn't affect them. They grew fearful of me exercising my authority in that manner so I figured out how to make sure it wouldn't affect them, at least not anything with negative consequences."

"And why would you do that?" Her ears perked forward but her expression showed disbelief.

"Simple. To build trust. Having those working for you trust you is a very valuable thing."

"Surprising for you to say that your majesty. I never took you as a particularly caring person."

"Oh what it is to be held in such high regard by a subject…"

She turned her head away from me and made a motion to walk forward, only to leap far above me into the vast darkness of the night. It wasn't a moment too soon that she disappeared as I saw my minister stumbling towards me.