Soon after I got back to the castle, I was sitting in my father’s office. Since I was soon to be the king, it was essential that I was a part of any kingdom matters.

  My father was sitting in his rge chair, only separated from me because of his study’s desk. He let out a big sigh and started speaking to me.

  “The beasts are getting stronger, Asher. Too strong,” he sat up straighter in his chair.

  “You’ve been struggling to defeat them tely. You’ve been coming back more bruised and the fights are getting longer, so it’s clear that the beasts are somehow more powerful than normal. More soldiers are getting hurt patrolling the forest as well. The beasts are no longer staying in their territory. They are getting closer to the vilges.”

  I looked at him, my face dead serious.

  “So what are you pnning to do?” I asked. My father wasn’t one to eborate until someone asked and I had no idea why. Still don’t. Probably to look mysterious and intimidating, is what I thought.

  He csped his hands together, resting it on his desk in front of him.

  “You need to find Healing Stones. We are running out of them and no one has wanted to be the one to go look for them recently.”

  “So you want me to go do the job no one wants to do?”

  “I want you to do what is good for the kingdom. Your kingdom,” His eyebrows moved downwards slightly, like he was frustrated at me.

  We stared at each other for what felt like centuries. It felt like we were having a battle in our minds telepathically somehow. After what felt like ages, I squinted my eyes and looked away from him.

  “And where do you suppose I should look for the Healing Stones?”

  He looked at me, annoyed at me for asking the question. I didn’t know why he was so much more tense that day, but he was getting mad at everything I did.

  “You can figure that out yourself.”

  “Well that’s helpful.”

  “Don’t talk back to me like a brat.”

  “I’m doing you and your knights work and now you are calling me a brat?”

  “What a future king you are going to be.”

  I stood up, making the chair scrape loudly across the floor as it violently jerked backwards. I stared down at my father, before turning and leaving the room. I needed to cool down.

  I walked down the hallways, passing the maids who most likely eavesdropped on our conversation. They always did. I learned to ignore their gossiping, but it did irritate me from time to time.

  I quickly navigated my way through the castle and into the castle garden. I breathed in the fresh air. It calmed me down to close my eyes and feel the fresh air fall on my face.

  I opened my eyes and walked through the garden, running my hands through the bushes as I walked along the rows of them. The red and pink flowers reminded me of Lily. I hoped I would see her soon. She always made me feel better.