Waiting in the Dark

𝓈𝒾𝓍𝓉𝑒𝑒𝓃

     I was saddling my horse to go on a ride when Abel strode up next to me. 

      "Do you mind if I join you?" He asked.

       I nodded my head. "I don't see why not."

       He smiled and headed towards the stable to grab his horse. He was quicker saddling his horse than I was so he was ready about the time that I was. 

       We rode in silence for the first couple minutes until Abel broke the silence.

       "I'm glad for you and Cirillo. He may not show it but I think he was lonely before he met you. And watching so many people die. It had to take a toll."

       "I'm glad I met him. I've never felt so at home than when I'm with him."

       "How did you two meet?" I asked Abel. 

        He chuckeled. "My father was a high-ranked knight here at the palace so I was in lessons with Cirillo when we were boys. He took my homework and passed it off as his so I put a frog in his lunch. We fought each other in the courtyard but once we were done hitting each other we decided to join forces. We pulled the best pranks." He smiled fondly, as if remembering all their shenanigans. 

       "What was your best prank."

       He considered this for a moment. "We were six at the time, I think. We put itching powder in our instructor's wig. It was crooked the entire lesson. But by the end, he was so frustrated that he yanked it off his head. He looked like an egg!"

      I couldn't help but smile when picturing little Abel and Cirillo laughing at their success. 

        "Do you have any siblings?" Abel asked. 

       "One. An older brother. He was my best friend because I didn't have many opportunities to make other friends. I went to school until I was twelve but then my father died. My brother needed my help taking care of my mother and the farm so I had to leave school. 

       Nickolas was my best friend. Well, I thought he was."

        Abel looked at me with a pitying look on his face. "I'm sorry. No brother should treat his sister that way." 

        "Thank you. But it doesn't change what he did. And now the village knows that Cirillo is Fae. They know he is dangerous and they'll retaliate. It's just a matter of time."

       "We have the biggest army in the fae world. We have allies who will send us reinforcements. We will be able to stop them if they attack." Abel assured me.

       "But at what cost?" Was all I had to say.