1 Chapter 1

He stood in a grove. He couldn't remember what he was doing right before this moment, but he knew he hadn't walked into the grove of his own will. Arden cautiously peered at his surroundings, trying to discern if any danger was immediately present. He noted none and sighed heavily at the wide expanse of trees. There was a peaceful silence hanging like a loving quilt through the air, only occasionally broken as leaves fell here and there in the windless sky. Arden stretched out his hand to catch a golden leaf that glistened with the morning dew. He felt uneasy with the newfound comfort. This wasn't a peace he was accustomed to in his daily life as an aging duke in the politically torn country of Rivirgal.

I need to fire every single one of those incompetent knights, he noted to himself. Arden hadn't ever had much use for guards, as he was perfectly capable of wielding a sword and turning the tables on any mercenary or assassin who made attempts on his life, but allowing him to be stranded in the middle of a field of trees was a bit much. He brushed the ashy colored hair out of his eyes, which shone a viridian green that often entranced the young noble ladies still yet to marry. All of it was tiresome, and being stuck here of all places without an ounce of control over his situation irritated him. The serene grove didn't seem to have a path to walk through, nor an exit to the wide expanse of trees. Arden looked down up at the sky. The sun seemed to shine from deeper in the grove, though he couldn't quite see it through the tops of the trees. He decided to gamble. If I keep heading east, eventually this expanse of trees will end. Arden started walking.

The serene yet repeating view of the grove allowed Arden's mind to wander. Just what was it he was doing before he arrived at this place? He frowned, as the memory of his recent dealings seemed to elude him. Arden remembered the tasks he had completed the day before. 'Meet the envoy from the Pastilla Duchy to discuss possible alliances over the sugar trade. I had gotten two hundred cane field workers in trade for the Pastillas to have the first pick of the sugar. It wasn't a bad deal. Review the aqueduct construction in the Northern District, which had been coming along as expected. Arrange the marriage for his oldest daughter Aella out of the marriage proposals set on his desk, after a quick tea break' Arden's eyes widened as he realized. He hadn't ever finished his tea break. The memory overtook him. He was drinking tea, but the tea was off. It tasted like blueberries. Arden cringed, remembering the awful inability to breathe after drinking the tea. He was allergic to blueberries, a well-known fact after he had banned it from his estate.

"I see you realize you crossed over" a friendly voice chuckled from his right. Arden remained unimpressed.

"If you've come to take my situation lightly, I will have to show you the true ability of a noble"

The attendant laughed heartily at the notion of Arden drawing his sword in the afterlife.

"That won't do you any good here child. Come and sit under this tree" the attendant cooed. "You might need a minute to come to terms with the life you lived"

Arden pondered for a moment, but obliged the attendant's request. The attendant flashed him a knowing smile.

"Tea?" The attendant asked.

Arden cringed, remembering the death he just experienced. "No thank you."

"Suit yourself"

Arden sat in silence for what seemed like a while, though he couldn't tell how much time had passed, as the sun remained fixed in in the same morning glow he noted when he arrived. He watched the attendant work on planting seeds in little patches of dirt, to suddenly sprout into saplings as he moved onto the next tree.

"What is all of this?" Arden asked, vaguely gesturing to the grove surrounding him.

"This is where the soul trees grow" The attendant responded simply.

"Soul trees? I don't understand"

The attendant nodded in response, before turning to look up at the trees with an expression of childlike wonder. After a pensive moment the attendant picked up his shovel before returning to his work.

Arden glanced around at the trees. He supposed they could be enchanting to a younger version of himself or to someone else, someone without the burdens of responsibility he always carried. He looked back at the attendant, who was furrowing his brows at a seed that hadn't sprouted.

"What is wrong with that one?" he asked the attendant.

"This one was born with the shell, but didn't have the soul to grow. A shame, really" the attendant replied. "Each tree is the soul for each of the children down there where you're from"

Arden suddenly understood why the attendant asked him to sit down. He had walked for what seemed like hours through the souls, and it dawned on him just how many people think and feel outside himself.

"Where is my soul tree?" Arden asked after collecting himself for a moment.

The attendant frowned. "Your soul tree is over here, are you sure you want to see it?"

Arden figured there was no harm as he was already dead. He nodded and then stood up, dusting off his clothes in the process.

"Please lead the way"

The attendant took his hand and lead him through the trees, weaving left and right in a pattern that seemed to defy logic or direction. Arden didn't mind, however, because the attendant seemed like a likeable man and posed no danger. The branches on the trees seemed to hang lower, catching the cloak of the duke in an attempt to convince him to turn around. But they persisted.

Eventually, the trees opened up to a clearing, seeming to avoid the trees in the center. The attendant pointed a finger at a tree.

"There is your tree"

Arden looked up at the tree, which appeared lifeless and barren, missing the golden leaves so prevalent on the other trees. Thorns seemed to scratch at the trunk of the tree, further stifling it from healing.

"What happened to my tree?" Arden snapped. "You couldn't even keep my tree alive?"

The attendant shook his head. "The trees live off the love in your life. While your tree aged with you, it never did flourish. There was nothing I could do". The explanation made sense, as Arden had lived a life without love or affection. He was born as a tool to inherit the estate, and his childhood was filled with duties and obligations. He couldn't remember his parents ever really speaking to him, rather choosing to speak to his nanny about his progress. He grew up to be methodical, imparting that same detached coldness into his own affairs.

"What do I do now?"

"Well, you could stay for a while if you aren't in a hurry, or I can send you through the gate to be reborn into another seed."

"I can't do that just yet. What about my daughters? Are they going to have good lives?"

"You can see for yourself" the attendant replied, as he pointed some smaller trees near Arden's soul tree. He noticed the three smaller trees. The tallest tree was for his daughter Aella, and its stoic posture reminded him of her calm and upright nature. The second tree seemed to be dancing toward the heavens. He smiled at the thought of his middle daughter Eira, who was delicate and sensitive, always seeming to charm those who passed her way. The third tree, a smaller one, which had branches that seemed to twine all over the place. That tree was definitely of his third daughter, Idalia, who passionately challenged any obstacle her way. A leaf fell from one of the trees, and Arden felt his anger well up like bile in his throat as he noticed the very tops of the trees, which were wilting and bare. The attendant gave him a look of pity, and gently placed Arden's hand on the branch of the first tree.