Child’s Play

"Cadell" Seren called to him softly. The young boy turned his eyes back to the girl next to him.

"Is that really true?" Cadell asked her, his wide brown eyes echoing his question. Seren smiled before turning her own eyes back to the night sky. "That's what they told me" Seren smiled up at the stars. Cadell frowned slightly looking down. "If that's true then why haven't your parents come to get you yet?" Seren sat quietly for a moment before answering. "I think it's because they don't need to". Cadell frowned more deeply "But don't they want to see you?" Seren giggled, "They already can, haven't you heard the story of the man on the moon?"

Cadell looked back up to the sky as Seren leaned closer. "There are his eyes, and look-" she exclaimed excitedly "He's smiling tonight!" Cadell watched her gesture wildly at the moon. Her pale fingers almost glowing in the dark air. Cadell looked at his own calloused hands, his daily sword training had made him rough, dirty.

Seren watched Cadell, his face as easy to read as the books she stole from the Great Scholars collection. "Hey," she chided, her pale blue eyes meeting his chocolate ones, "No star could ever shine without the night".

"Then let me be your knight" Seren stared back at Cadell, he grabbed her hands, momentarily forgetting the mud staining his fingers, "Seren please, you know I could" he pleaded.

"I-I don't know" Seren looked away, "You know I can't leave"

"I know" He gripped her hands more tightly with childish determination.

Suddenly Seren looked back at him, "How could anyone WANT to be trapped in this place!" Her lip quivered, and he could see his betrayal in her eyes. Seren stood, ripping her hands away she ran up the marble steps they had been sitting on, disappearing into palace. Cadell felt his eyes welling up, "She doesn't understand" he told himself.

Cadell leaned back, looking up into the night sky. "Hey, if you're really up there, she could use your help". He watched the moon, waiting for any sign of acknowledgement. He sighed, looking around before his eyes settled on the tree line.

Cadell closed his eyes and hung his head as he heard the heavy thud of hooves on the ground. This was a side of him he kept far away from Seren. He would not let his darkness tarnish her light, he knew this was coming. The horse whinnied to a stop only feet from him panting and stomping the ground. It was only as the rider hit the ground that Cadell looked up.

"Cadell" The gruff man greeted him with a nod. The man was almost as tall as the horse and Cadell knew he was twice as violent. His uncle had never quite fit the typical aristocratic image, but the light would leave the skies the day someone told him. His uncle maintained his position in the court for one reason: no one understood war as he did. His uncle had clawed his way up the ranks from his humble beginning as a stable mate for the war horses.

Cadell nodded back to his uncle, he was ready. Standing up, he wiped the dirt on his trousers before extending his hand to his uncle. As they shook Cadell couldn't help but feel like he was making a deal with the devil. His uncle had never looked more the part, illuminated only slightly by the moon behind him, the darkness stole most of his features. The sheen of sweat covering the man and his stead made them look unearthly.

"Where are your things?" His uncle grunted.

"I don't have much I want to remember from this place" Cadell looked behind him, "I have what I need". Cracking his back Cadell walked with his uncle away from the grand entrance of the palace. Called Marw, it was a magnificent temple dedicated to the goddess Cerridwen. They headed to the tree line, the barley visible path that led to the stables. Few people came to the palace and even less left. Seren was a well-hidden treasure, guarded by few of the kingdoms finest warriors, tight lipped priests, and thousands of acres of forested mountain. As his uncle disappeared into the black depths of the trees in front of him Cadell took one last look behind him.

A small part of him felt guilty for leaving Seren like this and an even smaller part of him wanted to run back to her. Cadell steeled himself against the invisible pull of the glowing white granite that made up Marw as his eyes welled up once again. He was only a boy, but he had made the choice to stop being a child two years ago when he met Seren. Wiping his eyes, he turned back to the trees, this time plunging forward without hesitation.

The only witness left in the night to see the small glow in the window of the most secure room in the castle was Cerridwen herself. Seren cried, curled up next to the window, watching the two figures disappear far below. Every tear that fell was another plea to wake up from this nightmare.