The sun was setting on Ava's first day as Queen of Albion. Her coronation this morning had been followed by the trial against her brother, Logan, and the rest of the day was spent being briefed on the status of the kingdom- which was troubled, to say the least. She was glad the day was over- already she could feel the stress was weighing upon her, and she wanted air and the company of her allies. Instead, she had been stuck in the castle all day with Hobson following her from place to place, chattering on and on about gold.
Ava and her dog Bullet made their way to Sir Walter's suite with Hobson trailing behind. Ava knocked on the door, "Walter, come out. The whole town is celebrating in the market and I want you to come with me to meet Page at the pub." She knocked again when Sir Walter didn't answer.
"Your Majesty, I must advise against leaving the castle tonight. The citizens are drinking themselves to ruin in the gutters- it's unbecoming of a Queen to drink in pubs and mingle with such detestable commoners in the streets. Who knows what sort of riot their drunkenness might incite? May I suggest you stay here and allow me to choose a bottle for you from the cellar to enjoy with Sir Walter? I may have forgotten to mention that in addition to my other skills, I am extraordinarily knowledgeable about wine. I would be happy to keep you company."
"Thank you, Hobson, but I promised Page that I would meet her tonight. What would my subjects think if I began breaking promises my first day as queen?" Ava continued to knock on Sir Walter's door- harder, to get herself and Bullet away from Hobson as soon as she could. "Walter, please open the door. I'd like to speak to you."
There was a shuffling noise, the sound of the lock being turned, and finally Walter poked his head out through a small opening.
Hobson started, "Sir Walter, may I bring-"
Walter had no patience for him, "Come in then, Ava." He moved aside for her and Bullet to make their way in and turned to Hobson, "Not you." and shut the door before he could say another word.
Ava's mouth fell open- every surface had been covered completely in lamps and candles, each one burning brightly and filling every corner of the room with light. There were candles on the floor in places where the light hadn't reached and the drapes were shut tight, as though to keep the darkness from coming in. "...Walter? What is this?"
"I can feel it, Ava. I can feel it coming for us. I can hear it still tormenting me. It's like any light that reaches my eyes has been dimmed- I can hardly see for the darkness. I think it might be here now." The words came from Walter in a torrent, faster and faster until the sentences nearly ran together. "That creature is coming for me. For all of us but for me especially. Like it's branded me and I've wandered away. It's angry that I'm gone. It's here!"
"No! No. Please Walter calm down. It's not here. It can't be- Theresa assured me that the darkness wouldn't be here for a year, and when it is, you and I will be ready. That creature can't hurt you- not so long as I'm here. It's a being- we've seen it and wounded it. It can be destroyed."
Walter didn't look convinced. There were dark circles around his eyes and he looked several years older than he had when he had placed the crown on Ava's head just that morning- before Logan had told them about the coming danger. Still in the clothes he had worn to the trial, he laid in his bed, staring at the flickering lights against the canopy above it. Walter's gaze shifted to Ava's face and he relaxed. "There's light in your eyes, Ava. I can see."
She smiled at him, "Come out with me. We'll go meet Page at the pub and have a few rounds."
"I can't, Ava." he whispered. "I can't. I'm so tired and I can't stand the dark. I don't want to go out there. Not til the sun comes up."
Ava gently held his hand, remembering how, as a child, she had been afraid to sleep after her father's death. The night he died, and every night afterward, Sir Walter would come to her room and patiently tell her stories about the old Hero King until she couldn't stay away anymore. For years he never missed a night, and although he couldn't take the place of her father, she loved him just as much.
In a whisper, Ava began as he had: "Once there was a boy of Bowerstone who loved his sister very, very much. One day, tragedy befell them both, and the boy was alone in the world, but for his loyal dog, and a kind seeress who raised him, and taught him to be a Hero..."
Moments later, Walter was resting peacefully. Bullet happily stayed put when Ava instructed him to and she slipped through Walter's door and into the hall. She was relieved to see that Hobson had not waited for her- he was probably off in the treasury, counting again. Down the hall she saw a servant turning down the wall lamps. "Please go into Walter's room as quietly as you can and put out all the candles, but leave a lamp burning for him near his bed. Thank you." The girl curtseyed and dashed off. Remembering Hobson's concerns about the people starting a riot, she took her pistol and sword from the wardrobe in her room so he would have no complaints when she returned, then made her way out into the courtyard, towards the market to meet Page.