A Dark-Haired Outcast

"They've arrived. The King and Queen have arrived." Cheers arose from the growing crowd that gathered in numbers to witness the spectacle.

"That was quite the entrance, Dioghaltus."

"That's quite enough dear, we made it in time for the ceremony. Mr Dioghaltus worked hard to do so, don't you think?"

"Th...thank you, your Highness"

"Humph very well" she outstretched her hand, offering it to her consort, who gently led her down the platform.

"Make sure that his family receives a most generous gift for his service." she said in a hushed tone.

"Of course your highness. We will send for his reward upon our return" the twin maidens responded in unison before bowing at their grace-given stature.

"See you can be nice when you try dear" the golden-haired figure teased his companion, with her fair skin blushing a similar tone to that of her reddish-gold hair.

"Stop...we are in the presence of the common folk" she tried to protest with a stern look and pouting lips.

Reaching that stone path, the crowd was just as suddenly parted as various elk-like steeds helmed by armoured attendants and dawning shimmering reins and vestments came to stop before them.

From the first two carriages were the families of the Frunora and Lunahoi clans, represented by familial crests of an ever-brilliant sun and a crescent moon upon a starry night respectively.

After the marriage of Queen Aisly and King Anu by the guidance of the Seers of the Jewelled Cove beneath the Lakewoods, the gods' chosen vassals of the seasons found harmony amongst themselves. Giving birth to the seasons of Spring and Fall, as symbols of their unity, the most coveted periods throughout the year.

And today that scared union would be honoured once more by the people of this city. For the blessings of that first union to persist, a ceremony must be fulfilled after the season's first rains.

All the representatives welcomed the regal pair, with the last to be met by them being the very city's regent. Stepping out of a swirling mass of leaves from above, the windswept display arrived at a calm stop beside the Queen's carriage.

The Regent, Niall and his beloved, Siwan quickly joined the procession welcoming their most important guests.

Understanding that they had travelled far for the ceremony, Siwan offered them a chance to rest and indulge in the feast they were preparing.

Honoured by her hospitality, they thanked her. With King Anu's interests being directed at any news of note to come to the peaceful Lakewoods, he dragged the Regent along with him as he joined the group of bewildered nobles waiting on him.

"I intend to see how you've been treating my lovely forest and her denizens. Those that would rather occupy themselves with talk of politics you may join my dear wife on her way to the Lodge." the king hopped into an emptied carriage with the Regent in tow.

"Now Niall, take me where you enjoy yourself the most"

"Your Grace, I cannot..."

"That's it I order you to take me where the fun is, I haven't been here in ages." tapping on the panels of the carriage, and signalling the driver to move. Unsure of the destination, though fearing the wrath either of his passengers may cast on him for his disobedience, he compiles, sending the steed onwards along with them.

Nia is one of the attendants to the Regent, in charge of serving the residents of Homewood Lodge. She had a gentle disposition and a kind heart, always eager to help those in need. Her fair skin and delicate features made her stand out among the other attendants, and her gentle voice was a soothing presence in the regent's court.

Despite her youth, she was highly skilled in the arts of diplomacy and etiquette, making her an invaluable asset to the regent's household. She carried out her duties with diligence and dedication, earning the respect and admiration of those around her.

Though those that knew her beyond her looks understood the kind of temper that roared beneath those hazel eyes.

"The Queen and Lady Siwan are on their way. So tell me why do I keep finding dust in the main hall and the fires for the stoves don't have any meat on them? Anyone " she cried as she entered the kitchen.

"He isn't back yet?"

"What? it's already nightfall where could be with the game? If he didn't find anything he should have come home then."

One of the much older maids said that the young hunter hadn't returned since he left in the after.

"But I wouldn't worry Nia, he went all with some the children from the Lodge" her words quelled the fires of her frustration by the cold rush of dread, shaking her voice as she held the old woman

"Brigid, where are the children?"

Elsewhere in the Lakewoods...

The merry laughs of amused children could be heard near the Rua River. However, what seemed to have captured their curiosity was how much torment they could inflict upon a strange beast from beyond the forest. Unsure of how it made its way into Fis, they did the next best thing, entertain themselves

Accosting it with sticks and stones. with them cheering on two among them to use their magic in them. A lone dark-haired boy, sporting onyx stumps where his companions had fledgling antlers sprouting forth, spoke against the abuse. Seeing no point in the torment.

"We came here to hunt and we already have our game, why must we needless harm this animal?" he wondered, looking at its flapping tail sweeping in front of it, trying to ward off the children.

Unfortunately for him, the children today had enough mischief to go around.

Their mockery only grew as he stepped between, swearing to shield the creature if they continued. Despite their warnings that it was dangerous and deserved none of the forest's mercy as an outsider, stood against them.

Taking a blistering bolt of lightning in its defence that crackled through his legs forcing him onto the floor. The bow looked at the wound but saw only the smouldering quiver that took the brunt of the attack.

"Fionn, you didn't have to use that much magic, you almost killed him."

"I was aiming for the beast like your wanted Maren. Now, are you going to stay there or are you going to move? I have better ways of spending my time and you're holding us up" opening up the book he held while the rest of them marvelled at his skill.

"H...Hey there, you aren't hurt are you?" the young man held himself up with his bow.

Turning to the beast only to get slashed across the face as the creature thrashed about trying to rush deeper into the sprawling net of roots. The children that watched it attack stood silently in shock, stunned as he tried to calm it.

Blood drenched with his eyelids half raised, but still, he reached out and tried to calm it. Fionn looked up at the pair after the children urged him to fire another bolt when word of the Queen's and King's arrival came at the helm of another child.

Warning that everyone was already at the Homeward Lodge and that the attendants were looking for them causing a mild stir as they all ran back, leaving him behind without a second thought.

The truth wasn't that he was soothing it from its distress, but rather holding back its fangs from attacking the children. Unsure of why or how, but looking at it, he instantly knew how dangerous the beast could be.

Though even stranger was that in his grasp and feeling his warmth, the creature was lulled to compliance. Brushing its scaled nose against him, with a gentler look in its eyes, it licked at the dripping blood while it let out soft whimpers before leaping out of his arms and running off.

Leaning against his bow and watching it get beyond the clearing when the shock of his wounds struck him like a rain of pebbles but he knew that he would need to return soon, dragging his bow, and his quarry hanging from the nearest tree as he strumbled on his way back home.

Back at the Lodge celebrations were already starting with musicians playing their best renditions to covet the Queen's favour while acts of all manner of fancy from juggling balls of fire to trapeze artists leaping between floating spheres of water.

Queen Aisly engaged with the nobles that sat around her, recounting the changes and events to come from Fis since her last visit a hundred summers ago. While King Anu looked around the room with very little interesting him.

Finally coming through the doors, the other attendants almost took to the young boy with their brooms had he not already been bathed in blood and marked with several bruises. Some concern grew between them as they shared their fear of his caretaker's arrival and finding the child in such a state.

So rather than waiting for her, they decided to speedily wrap his wounds and put him to work. Prompting him to hurry and place the kill on the table they tried to nurse his wounds. Growing more frightened by how unbothered he seemed and how deep the wounds were they decided to wash themselves of the situation by sending him out to serve the court in the main hall.

"You will see to those properly once you are relieved." one of them said, scolding him with a stern look.

Grabbing a barrel of cherried mead slung over his lithe frame, he was sent off into the hall.

Wasting no time as the moment he stepped out, requests from all the guests were loud and urgent, topping everyone's drink. The unusual display caught the attention of the Queen's table. What confused the strangely captivated king was the brutish strength of the young child demonstrated as he stumbled between the long tables.

King Anu beckoned the boy to serve his table next. Parking the hefty barrel beside it, the boy reached for one of the nobleman's horns when he started to bleed on the table causing a commotion as he cast aside the horn full of mead in disgust.

Startling the entire room, their attention turned to the table, with a tense silence echoing the child's attempts to apologise while trying to clean the bloodstain with the hem of his shirt. The insulted nobleman scoffed after seeing the boy's dark hair, all reason seemed to waver in place of his desire to punish him.

But his raised hand would be halted when Nia came out and with a hushed voice scolded the boy before sending him outside and cleaning the mess. Apologising deeply to the table.

Later on the night...

The king managed to sneak himself away from stifling nobility who through the strength of their drink found themselves bolder in their questions and requests of the regal pair. The Queen never finding enough enjoyment out from hearing of machinations each of them had for the Lakewoods where they installed as Regent, chose to remain with the party.

Out of the main hall, there was a fountain depicting the Queen and King in the back entrance of the Lodge that drew its crystalline waters from the pool that sat the Lodge. Walking up to it from the front of the massive building, you would find it upon thick tree-like stumps above the shimmering waters.

Making his way along the perimeter of the Lodge, by following the branch-like rails that guided him to the front, the king was surprised to find the young boy, with legs dangling above the pool as if he was entranced by the mirror composed by the bright moons.

"So that's where you ran off to?" King Anu wondered aloud.

His sudden appearance caused him to hit his head against the bannister above him.

"Your... Grace, do you need me for something?" soothing himself as he tried to stand.

"Oh please sit. You are in no shape to stand" pointing at the scorch marks on his leg.

"Also you're bleeding again"

"I'm so sorry your Grace, I will make myself presentable in your presence" fussing over the stream as he tried to wipe it off with his sleeves.

"Enough. Honest how you've managed to wander all over the place like a bleeding dog but still find yourself concerned with such formalities are far too strange for me to try and facilitate a reasonable conversation"

"Huh?"

"Hold still..." he raised a palm to the boy, with this gesture the butterflies forming his garment fluttered gently around him as he produce a golden ray from his hand.

Showering the boy in its light, his bruises began to fade while wounds were shut by the power of the light.

"Now you can use that bandage over your eyes to wipe away that blood and were can speak once more.

Gesturing to his stunned expression, snapping him back to his senses as he vigorously cleaned himself.

"There. Now there's not much I can do about those scars you have now but I doubt anyone will be looking at them when the rest of you is so peculiar" Anu teased.

"I wouldn't dare to complain, you've already blessed me with your healing touch" he thanked him with a lingering thought of Nia's reaction at the back of his mind.

"So do you mind explaining where and how someone your age could get wounds like that?"

The boy tried to lie, blaming his condition on a terrible fall from a tree that he far too much for him to scale but the king figures it out the moment he places his hand on his head. asking why he allowed the creature to maim him.

This time he hesitates before answering, amusing him with the various expressions spelling his thoughts out to him.

"When you're as old as me very few things surprise you. So you learn to seek out the interesting things the world has to offer instead of sitting and waiting for them. You are most certainly one that arouses a lot of questions, so will you continue to indulge me?" he asked him, leaning against the rails as he took a sip from his horn.

Varjo is a young boy who is abandoned in a strange forest and taken in by one of its inhabitants. Despite facing discrimination for his unique appearance and lack of horns, he becomes a skilled hunter, bringing the game he hunted to Nia, wishing to be of any use to her.

Despite spending all his life in the Lakewoods, due to being an outsider Varjo understood that he would always be different but he chose to focus on aiding Nia, for everything she has done for him she may as well be a mother to him.

With the sun rising into a new morning, preparations for the ceremony were already underway.

Varjo thanks to the King's aid, made it home in better condition than when he left. But instead of walking through the door to ready himself for the day, he instead found Nia waiting for him at the door. Asking to come in with a sullen look, seeing that the boy was tended to, he embraced him tightly against her breast.

"I told you not to go out hunting at night, the forest isn't the same then. You could have been..."

"I'm sorry....for worrying you" she held his cheeks as she looked into his eyes, she was struck with a shocking sight.

"Hmmm, then try not to get into trouble again. Once you get ready go and grab some breakfast. Then it's straight to Ms Brigid to have a look at you"

"All right..." he said just as he reached for his bow, she grabbed it from him.

"No hunting till then. In fact today you're helping me" she gave him a glowing smile, before grabbing him and dragging him out of the room as he struggled in vain.