Chapter 55

It had been a week since the wolf incident, and things had returned more or less to their original schedule. For Avalina, at least.

Her back felt much better now, where she could almost forget she had been hurt, unless she moved the wrong way too quickly, whereupon she would get a sharp reminder.

She still played an hour for the Horned King every day, but he had moved his chair to the window, (Halfway across the room) so he could look out, or back at her. He was still behind her, but not quite so close, and that relaxed her a great deal more than she had ever even thought possible. Another thing she had noticed was that he had not mentioned another word about her limited music abilities, nor had he ever attempted to come within ten feet of her again. A trend she was only too willing to keep going.

She had had time to practice a little more than usual this week, and using the music books, had taught herself a new one. She had known the lyrics for years, but the music had always escaped her. She had asked her old music teacher to show her how to play it, but they had either been too busy or ignored her request.

Now, however, she had learned it, and it would be a perfect surprise for the Horned King as she brought the hour to a close. Providing her voice didn't crack and her fingers didn't slip, that is.

The Horned King could almost feel his wounds healing whenever Avalina sang. It filled him with that burning sensation he could not name, that strength that made him feel as if he could win any battle, destroy all his foes, and that subtle, deep feeling in his chest that made him feel so calm inside, like a gentle breeze stirring newborn leaves.

He had not mentioned the lack of new music since the incident. He realized that she was only a peasant, and as such there was only so much she could learn, and that he had set the bar for her rather high.

Given that she was a nervous wreck nearly all the time, especially in his presence, it was no wonder she could not learn anything.

He found that he enjoyed her music more, now that he had moved his chair. Her stress level had shrank, and her playing had improved greatly. It was well worth not terrorizing her whenever she came into the room.

He turned his attention from the window back to her, realizing that he did not recognize the melody she was slowly tinkling out on the piano. (He had finally gotten that instrument's name from the Invisibles)

It was slow and calming, yet it had a bright undertone that sounded like it couldn't wait to break out, stirring that faint burning in the Horned King's chest.

Then Avalina's soft voice came in, almost soothing, yet clear and bright, like a fresh spring morning.

"Under the snow,

Beneath the frozen streams there is Life. . .

You have to know,

When Nature sleeps she dreams

There is Life. . .."

Her voice drew out a few words more than others, enough so that that cheerful undertone shown through even more, her voice rising a little on the last line and staying there as she went into the next verse.

"And the colder the Winter

The warmer the Spring

The deeper the Sorrow

The more our hearts Sing

Even when you can't see it, inside Everything. . .

There is Life. . ."

His ear caught Avalina humming softly to herself as her fingers danced lightly over the keys, dong a short break before going into the next verse. He noticed that she was actually enjoying herself, very probably for the first time since she had came here. And it showed.

"After the rain, the sun will reappear

There is Life. . .

After the pain, the joy will still be here

There is Life. . ."

Here, her voice and the music swelled to accent the fire inside him, that he could feel getting stronger the longer the song went on.

"For its out of the Darkness

That we learn to See

And out of the Silence

That songs come to Be

And all that we dream of awaits Patiently. . .

There is ~*Life!*~"

The notes danced through the air so fast he felt like he could almost feel their breeze as they swept over him, as Avalina's voice softened again and drew out the last line of the song.

There,

Is,

~*Life*~. . ."

The notes slowly faded into obscurity, leaving the most peaceful silence that had ever reined in this wretched castle.

They both sat motionless, not wishing to destroy this just yet. It was. . .it was. . .

'Beautiful.'

The Horned King blinked at himself, hardly able to believe he had thought that word.

He should feel disgusted with himself for doing so, but yet. . .

He realized he could not. This feeling was still too strong in the room for him to do so.

But he had been right.

It was beautiful.

The words in that song were so powerful, so promising. . .so hopeful.

The clock gonged loudly, signifying the end of the hour.

Avalina started sharply at the bench with a loud gasp, all her control preventing her from leaping from it.

The Horned King smirked faintly, his amusement at her reaction overriding the irritation directed at that blasted clock.

Avalina gracefully stood, turning in his direction, and bowed from the waist for a moment before rising, watching him for orders.

Usually he was rather curt, but he seemed to be so lost in thought this time. . .he nodded very faintly at her in dismissal.

Bowing her head slightly, Avalina turned to go, but as her fingers brushed the handle of the door, she could not help glancing back at him.

He stood, with his hands clasped behind his back, staring out the window, over his dead realm, and possibly observing the magnificent green country farther out, where his influence over the land ended.

With his face turned away from her, Avalina thought he looked almost noble, with those horns curving gracefully out, the spikes branching off, standing as tall and straight as an old oak tree.

And yet. . .he looked. . .he felt. . .so exceedingly. . .

She felt the air for the emotions that were floating in the room, and then their names.

They were so faint, so very faint they could hardly even *be* felt. She was surprised she had sensed them at all. It was obvious he kept every last bit of feeling, of humanity, (If he even had any) of anything, locked deep inside himself where no one could see anything, except the monster he was.

But they were very faint now, having been nudged just slightly to the surface of his ice facade, just enough for Avalina to pick them up.

Perhaps the music had had something to do with it.

The first she felt was loneliness. Yes, that was one.

He looked terribly lonely.

The other was a bit harder to discern, but she thought it was something along the lines of despair or discouragement of some sort. And it felt like he may have carried these feelings for quite some time. They were so heavy. . .

Avalina felt her heart ache at sensing these things, and she found herself wishing that he didn't feel so sad.

'I wish I could make him happy.'

Avalina nearly started at this.

'Why am I even thinking like this?' She thought, horrified at her line of thinking.

'You know he can't feel! He's a heartless monster. There's not even any humanity left in him to feel anything. You're just imagining this.'

'How could I imagine something like this?' She argued silently with herself. 'Coming from *him?*'

She knew he realized she had not left, by the way he slightly inclined the right side of his head in her direction, a silent invitation to speak if she wished.

'I feel like I should say something,' she thought to herself. 'But I have no idea what to say.'

"Sir?" Her own voice startled her. She hadn't meant to speak! Or had she?

Conflicted, she watched the Horned King slowly turned in her direction, his face as impassive as stone, clearly a sign to keep going.

She had known what she wanted to ask him, but the instant his eyes had settled on her she had forgotten. Her stomach clenched.

"Um. . ."

'Come on, girl, think!'

Her mind raced frantically, lighting on the first thing she could think of.

"How are you today?"

She physically cringed at how stupid that question sounded.

Feeling herself blush in embarrassment, she glanced down at the floor, wishing she could have picked anything else to say other than that.

'You idiot, you idiot,' she thought miserably to herself as the silence dragged on.

"I am. . .well."

His deep, gravelly voice made the hair on her neck stand up. Taken by surprise that he had actually answered, Avalina looked up at him, to see that he was watching her for a reaction.

Now she really couldn't think of anything to say, and the silence was getting awkward. She had had a halfway decent question for a good conversation earlier, but it had escaped her. Another suddenly popped up in her mind and she snatched at it before she bothered to think.

She could not remember if it was her original idea or not, but it would have to do.

"W-would you like to come meet Mitternacht?"

The Horned King stared at her for a moment, and she thought she detected a hint of surprise in the air, before he answered.

"Who?"

"My horse," Avalina answered hopefully.

After a moment, he slowly shook his head.

"No."

"Oh," Avalina nearly whispered, dropping her gaze to the floor again, feeling foolish. "I'm sorry."

After a long, uncomfortable pause, the Horned King answered her.

"It isn't that I would not like to see him, but I do not think he would like to see me."

"But. . .he's seen you before."

She left off the rest of her explanation, not wishing to glorify herself or seemingly belittle him.

"Yes, and you are unbelievably fortunate that he did not kill you. Animals fear me."

". . .Why?"

Normally she wouldn't ask this, but he seemed far more willing to talk than he had the entire time she had been here, and she wasn't about to discourage him.

"Everything fears me."

". . .Oh."

Avalina watched him turn his head to glance out of the window again, and she felt that loneliness raise a little more, and she realized she couldn't just walk out now.

"He'll behave if I ask him to."

The Horned King turned back to her, the realization of what she was thinking hitting him.

"You seem to have a relationship with your horse that is. . .unusual, to say the least. Years of work would be destroyed in a single moment if I accepted your offer, and the trust between he and you would be shattered, with no way to regain it. Do you want that?"

Avalina shrank under his gaze and the words that accompanied him, but continued.

"He knows I would never intentionally endanger him. I know he would never hurt me on purpose either."

After a pause when he didn't reply, she softly asked him.

"Please? Please come?"

A soft sigh grated itself into the air, before he turned back towards her with a faint air of resignation.

"Very well. You have been duly warned."

The song is copyrighted to Alison Krauss and Disney. It's called There Is Life. Its off Bambi 2, and I thought it just fit so perfectly here I couldn't pass it up. Don't forget to review, people! XD