Chapter 36
The Horned King headed slowly to his chambers, deep in thought.
This morning had been full of surprises. And not necessarily unpleasant ones.
The last thing he had expected was for her to come back uninvited.
Or to plead for the creeper's life, after the little pest had clearly beaten her.
He never valued anyone's opinion but his own. He hadn't expected himself to listen.
But he had.
After toying with her emotions a bit, watching her reaction at him choking the creeper harder, he had been surprised that her answers actually made sense.
Deciding that that good of an argument deserved a reward, he had ordered the creature out, snarling softly in his ear, quiet enough that Avalina wouldn't hear, that if it wasn't for her forgiving nature, he wouldn't be alive now.
The creeper would no doubt come in useful for something in the future anyhow.
She hadn't heard him come up behind her until he spoke, his patience slim, telling her more or less that if she had nothing else to say there was no reason for her to remain.
He had felt her aura come over him as he stepped in closer to her.
He noticed with sadistic satisfaction how she jumped in terror at the sight of him, staring up at him in horror.
He had not expected her to say anything.
He had not expected her to plead to visit her family.
And yet she had.
Suddenly, the Horned King realized that, despite her complete terror of him and stammering voice, she was willing to voice her requests if it meant something she obviously cared deeply about might be granted.
This girl had backbone.
More so than any knight or soldier he had ever faced.
And he realized that making talk with her was interesting. It was for this reason he answered her.
Looking her trembling form up and down, he pondered on how to respond. Dare he say it, he gave the girl a dark word of advice, asking her if she would rather inflict more pain on herself and her family for a few moments of petty reunion.
Her response to that had been the last thing he expected. It was also the best argument to his previous statement he could ever have wanted to hear.
"I would rather my mother know I am alive then live in uncertainty the rest of her life, without knowing."
"Why?" He had asked, surprised by this answer.
"Because only a mother's love could hold out that long, sir. And...I love her very much."
That same loathful word in the same sentence twice. But yet. . .it stirred a memory, or something akin to one. . .something so faint he could no longer remember it, and yet it was there, lodged in the back of his head, niggling at him.
Pondering on it, he didn't notice for a moment that Avalina was looking him over.
Hiding his knowledge of this, he stayed still a moment more, letting her eyes. . .those eyes. . .travel slowly up his form to rest on the reason for his name above his head.
After several more moments, and upon realizing he would not be able to remember what he was seeking anytime soon, he turned back to look at her, catching her gaze, before she blushed in embarrassment at being caught staring at him and dropped her eyes.
The Horned King felt a faint drop of amusement.
Scarcely able to believe what he was saying, he granted her not one day as she had initially requested, but three.
Three whole days.
He took his time in explaining everything that would happen if she did not return on time, enjoying immensely that she was too terrified to even move.
His face a foot from hers, he had asked if she understood everything perfectly, noticing how wide in paralyzed fright her brilliant eyes were.
He enjoyed his influence over people greatly. It was one of the few things that brought him pleasure anymore.
As he began to walk away from her, she had been freed from the power he had held over her.
Hearing her cough and struggle for air behind him, he stopped, remembering the aura of Death he carried with him.
He had almost forgotten about it.
And with her own aura that was quite strong, he should have remembered she would have trouble as he walked away.
All mortals did.
Ripping it away from her too fast could cause damage of some sort.
Turning his head to see how she had fared, he saw her gripping her chest, regaining her breath.
As she raised her head and saw him looking, he knew he had to have a reason for doing so.
Asking her why she was still standing there would do nicely.
Right before she left, he heard two words he never thought he would hear directed at him in his entire lifetime.
"Thank you."
Completely floored in shock at this, he had turned around to see her, but she was already gone.
'Thank you.'
No one had ever thanked him.
For anything.
Nor was there any reason for anyone to.
And yet she had.
He furrowed his brow faintly.
'Why? Why did she do that?'
The echo of her words came back softly to ring in his ears again.
"Thank you."
"Thank you."
Avalina sprinted from her room as fast as possible, her saddlebags over her shoulder.
She didn't know a joy this strong could exist until now.
She was going home! Home!
Hurrying down the stairs and out the castle doors (Which opened for her all by themselves, as usual) she ran across the stable yard, hearing Mitternacht's signature bugling whinny of greeting that he saved only for her.
The stable doors opening, she ran down the hall, throwing the saddlebags onto the hitching rail as she went to Mitternacht.
"Come on, boy!"
She cried cheerfully as she pulled open his stall door and rubbed him in greeting.
"We're going home!"
The horse, seeing his rider this happy, became joyful as well, prancing on his toes around her.
Suddenly feeling weak from the sudden overexertion, she pitched forward and would have fallen if he hadn't been there for her to lean on and hang on to.
Feeling a deep warmth spring deep in her heart, she hugged him.
He would be there to catch her if she got weak.
That's what friends were for.
Tacking him up would have gone much faster if her fingers hadn't been trembling so much.
Mitternacht was keen to check the saddlebags, making sure that little scrap of cloth was still secured inside.
This earned a laugh from Avalina.
Leaping into the saddle, the horse was off and running the instant his rider's boots fitted into the stirrups.
The Horned King watched from his window as the stable doors swung open immediately, allowing Avalina and her horse to break out into the courtyard and toward the drawbridge, which was down and waiting like a welcome mat.
Her horse needed no urging and hit the wood running, his hooves giving a tapping tattoo on the old, sturdy bridge.
Across the moat and through the dust and flat dead grass they galloped, heading straight for the treeline without so much as a pause, the horse's feet throwing up a cloud of dust that followed them all the way to the end of the Horned King's realm.
And she didn't even look back.
The Horned King watched as the dust clouded over the air and hid them from sight.
After many moments it cleared enough to hazily see through, but it was no use now.
She was gone.