I was happy to see her, I won’t lie, Zelda one of my first true friends outside of Diveen. I suppose I was lucky really- that she even wanted to see me after I took out half the east side of her pack with a rouge tree. I guess I just didn’t really know my own strength, a smirk of sorts dancing across my features at the memory as Zelda bounced over and my own tail waved in response. I never really liked girls, I mean, my sister was fairly boring and so were most of the other girls I met. They never wanted to play fight or tumble or do anything all that interesting but, I don’t know….I think I could like them. Maybe. They don’t seem all that bad, or at least Belhara didn’t and neither does Zelda. She claims it was nice to see me, my smile widening a little at that. Of course it was nice to see me, it was always nice to see me, I love to see me too- my appearance by far one of my best features though I suppose I should go for modesty, simply chuckling softly in response as she spoke of the river, the violet and gold of my eyes moving to peer at it behind her. She wanted to see things like I did? A part of me wanted to laugh, another part of me wanted to tell her she didn’t want to see the things I did at all, that surely the forest was the best place for her to be. Maybe I am too young to think of things like that, but I can’t change what I have seen or what I know. I’ve seen a family torn down by Covet and torn apart by his ridiculous attempts to force Ambrosia to have children with his brother or something equally ridiculous, I’ve seen and felt what a desire for revenge tastes like, an emotion that makes you burn inside, I have seen Isola shatter into a million pieces with a pain she cannot fix and I have watched the land I love be turned into a barren wasteland before my eyes. Do I tell her that? Do I tell her that at not even two years old I already know what it’s like to hate? Do I tell her I plan to lead a group of wolves designed to eliminate those who get in our way and ever threaten my family again? Maybe I should have- but I didn’t? Why ruin that in her? Just because I’ve seen more of the world then I care to doesn’t mean I have to do the same for her. Besides- seeing some new things were still good and exciting, another simper tracing my lips.

“I am the avid adventurer.”

I lifted my head a little higher in an effort to appear a tad more regal then I think I actually deserved as I seated myself once more, one paw folding over the other, seeing no need to tarnish her image of what adventuring was truly like. Mostly a lot of walking, like a lot, speaking of which I needed to head to Iromar soon and probably back to Asteraia, my future Kingdom- if only to make sure it was still being looked after. Further alliances were needed there, perhaps I would send Orfiel to speak to one of the children. Another plan to think on- though for now I was rather content just to enjoy the company of my new found companion as she spoke of the tree once more, a sheepish look touching my youthful features.

“Well- as long as no one found out I guess that’s ok, I didn’t want you to actually be in trouble I just, well, I didn’t really think I could move the tree to be honest. One day, when I am king, I will position the trees where they should be.”

I nodded, assured, as if such a plan was entirely logical and why wouldn’t it be? If I said the trees would move then they would. I just had to believe it so. Heyel always said as much. If I believed it, then in time others would. Leadership was part skill, part battle and mostly keeping up appearances and an air of being greater then those around you until they believed it. Heyel was only ever challenged once, early in his reign and really, I think that’s because they believed he was immortal. I needed that same belief- one day.

My attention returned to Zelda once more, eyes drifting back to her own as she spoke, asking about Diveen, my gaze frowning slightly once more, head turned ever so slightly from her in an effort to prevent her seeing….I don’t know what, anger? I shook it off nearly as soon as I felt it, keeping my features more neutral now as I spoke.

“I’m fine, we are all fine- Covet is already gone and my cousin Ambrosia has fled. Order has been restored the way it should. My family is….very powerful, more powerful then even I knew but Diveen is safe again and so am I. He…..Covet, that wolf who had Diveen for awhile, he….said strange things to me.”

I had never admitted these things to another, not really, maybe it was because she was my age, maybe because she was a good secret keeper- I had mentioned them at the funeral but not on the level I was about too, form shifting slightly as my gaze returned to her once more.

“He said things that…..made me very……mad, Zelda. Mad like I haven’t been before. He made out as if my bloodline and family were nothing but some false idol, that I was wrong to be proud of them. He told me unless I could turn from that then I should leave the pack. He didn’t understand, all the things he said were false and he told lies, so many lies about things that didn’t happen until I thought he was deluded in the mind and maybe he was but I was angry with him, more angry then I have ever been for anything but….it was like it wasn’t just my anger it was more then that- I didn’t….even feel like me in that moment I felt like someone else. This isn’t making sense is it? Forget it. I…I was just upset that’s all. He said things about my family that weren’t true. I am an Angel, I always will be and I am proud of that and of them- all of them who came before me. I won’t ever let anyone tell me who I am. I won’t.”

h y r u l e
The Once and Future King
The Heir of Heyel