An Encounter In The Woods

Lucian rode towards the stream, he hadn't been here in a while now, and that was probably thanks to Simon. His squire had actually made his life a little more tolerable than it used to be. But after what had just happened, this was probably the only place he could find peace at the moment.

It was still morning, and the entire forest was cold. The waters were freezing, but that didn't stop Lucian from getting in a good soak. It was dangerous for him to be out here alone, his father and Mark had warned him about that severally, but nothing had ever happened to him since he started visiting here. The land was owned by the royal family, and while access to it wasn't forbidden to the public, people would rather stay away from things that belonged to the royal family, everybody except the king's bastards.

"You're far from the castle, my prince." An unfamiliar voice called out to Lucian, forcing him to open his eyes and immediately cover his naked body with hands.