3- A Royal Visit

"It is a good day today." Adrian used his one free hand as a shadow from the sun and looked into the distance beaming. 

"It certainly is." Theo agreed as he tried to keep with the prince's horse. 

As a prince, Adrian was incredible at horse riding. He was known to have had an incredible affinity with his royal horse named Paradise. 

"A good day, indeed, if the royal duties do not interfere and make it poor." Adrian sighed and continued riding through the rocky path.

Horse riding acted as a getaway for the prince. He would always go on a ride with Paradise at dawn and breathe in the fresh air that his island has to offer. 

'Minotaur' was a work of art. The island was ruled by Adrian's ancestors for as long as someone could recall. The name for the island might have come across as a bad choice at first, nobody exactly knew why the island was named after a monster. But for what it was worth, the name surely didn't have any effect on the appearance of the island. 

It was surrounded by a vast ocean on all sides, also bordered by endangered plants and foliage. Minotaur was famous for its rich greenery and availability of plants that could cure humans of any illness except death. 

"Say, Theo, could we go on a hunt on the outskirts today?" Adrian tapped his gun which was dangling off his shoulder, looking like an adornment of the rich. 

"But, Your Highness. This is not the right moment for it and the outskirts are rather dangerous to go without the guards. If you give me a minute or two, I will assemble the guards around and we can go hunt." Theo opposed halting his horse.

"Oh, what shame will it be to summon the guards around merely to go hunt in the outskirts?" Adrian glanced back at Theo and lifted his eyebrows in aggravation. "We are both armed." He said and continued riding ahead.

"Your Highness, I am not afraid of us not being armed." Theo tried to pursue the prince and ride as fast as he could to keep up with his pace. "I am afraid of other things and I cannot risk your life."

"What other things?" The prince was not having any of it. He was exhausted from being told what to do and what not to do as if his life was not his alone. He felt like shared belonging and it made him feel less of a man. 

"It is said that the outskirts have poisonous plants," Theo explained.

Adrian rather than halting after hearing the piece of information that was conveyed, picked up his pace by kicking Paradise. 

"That is more of a reason to visit that place and check out the plant myself. I have also heard that the plants there have healing powers, do they not?" Adrian inquired. 

Theo just sighed and followed the prince toward the southern region of the island. 

It was a voyage downhill from the palace to the southern part of Minotaur. The island was vast and verdant which made it tricky to figure out the paths without the help of a connoisseur. 

The prince has been riding his horse for about thirty undisturbed minutes now. The only sound in the forest came from the two horse's feet as they hit the moist leaves scattered on the forest ground. 

"Theo, are you sure we are on the right path?" Adrian asked as he glanced back at Theo who appeared as clueless as his highness. 

"I think we have passed over this palm tree before, Your Highness," Theo signified and touched the giant tree erected on his side.

"Are you assured?" Adrian asked. At this point, he was half sure that they both were lost but he tried to not make it known to Theo. After all, he was a prince and he had to lead, he could not let his guard know of his defeat. It would mark him a coward, the worst of it all. 

It would put a dent in his ego. A dent on the ego meant a dent on the throne. 

"We need to call for help," Theo said and made an effort to look back into the woods. He attempted to look for the route that they had just covered so that they could trace it back but it all seemed like a green cave with no opening. 

"We should turn back." Theo needed the prince to get back to the palace. Getting lost in the woods was the last thing that he wanted. 

"Or, we should ride ahead and look for locals who could help us," Adrian suggested with a glimpse of hope on his face and started riding ahead. 

"Your Highness, you can not do that." Theo interrupted but it was too late, the prince was already riding ahead with the most zeal. 

Theo attempted to catch up with Adrian. 

The prince was eager for the first time in a while. It was his pursuit to speak with the locals and peek at their lives. Maybe this was his chance. 

"Your Highness, these people are not the ones you can talk to." Theo finally caught up with Adrian and halted his horse right in front of him.

"But why not?" Adrian questioned with pain in his voice. "Is there anything?" He puts his hands up in the air, just like he is giving up. "Anything that I can do in this life?" 

"These people are the witch tribe." Theo eventually said the forbidden words. 

Adrian had a visible shock on his face displayed all over. His eyes were opened wide. Witchcraft was something that didn't have a great reputation among royals. It was said that witches could turn humans into pigs and vice versa. Nobody wanted to be associated with witches ever. 

"Your Highness, people here are not normal people. They are known for witchcraft. They are also not enthusiasts of the royals. This place is as hazardous as it can be." Theo explained and worry crept into his words.