"I knew I'd find you up here."
Hayden's moment of surprise was brief as he almost immediately recognized the voice behind him. He remained in his position, stiff and unmoving, as his brother sat beside him.
"This is quite the celebratory mood you have here, brother. I can tell you're having all the fun."
Hayden grunted. He knew his brother well enough for his sarcasm to be wasted on him. But he played along anyway.
"Indeed, Cassian," he replied. "The moon is at its peak tonight, making for a wonderful view."
"I'm sure it does," Cassian responded faintly. Hayden turned to his brother, noting the seriousness in his usually playful gray eyes as he looked at the night sky. It only lasted for a moment, though, after which he returned to Hayden's gaze with his typical lighthearted grin. "The real merriment is going on inside the palace, brother, in the midst of family, friends, and possibly even foes. But I guess you don't have the appetite for any of that. I mean, why else would you be perched here on the summit of a watchtower and observing the landscape like a vigilant eagle?"
Hayden's lips drew up in a smile. "You've always had a way with words, Cassian. It's hard for me not to envy such a gift."
"Anyone can be expressive with words. But to be this articulate requires a skill that only very few possess. I can teach you if you like."
Hayden sighed with exasperation. "Of course, with great talent comes great arrogance."
Cassian threw his head back and laughed. "My apologies, brother. I couldn't help it. Now can we get back to why you're avoiding the party?"
"I simply am not in the mood. I wanted a safe place to hide from all of it. So I came here."
"I don't know if you haven't noticed," Cassian pointed out with a confused expression, "but there's nothing safe about sitting on a twenty-foot tower. You could've just gone for a ride instead. Or headed to bed."
"Maybe," agreed Hayden. He turned his gaze back to the stretch of land below them. Beyond the spacious forecourt and the palace gates were a wide cluster of numerous small wooden houses—each capped at the rooftops with thick snow—that formed a great part of the kingdom of Wysteria. Further up north, just a few feet past the last row of houses, stood the first towering trees of the Venari—a ridiculous name given to the notorious forest by the locals.
"I think I know where your problem lies," Cassian said with a narrowed gaze. He leaned back, placing his hands behind him to act as support. "Your eyes keep drifting to that cursed place. No wonder you're in a sour mood."
"How largely observant of you," Hayden remarked, unable to keep the sarcasm off his tongue. "Besides, the Venariisn't cursed. It's where we've made the most of our livelihood for centuries. Have you forgotten? Our food, shelter, clothing, and even medicinal supplements have all been provided by that 'cursed place'. It's just that something about that forest has seemed off recently."
"Recently?" Cassian scoffed. "The Venari has been suspicious ever since the beginning of time. I'm happy you are all finally getting the scales off your eyes."
Hayden raised an eyebrow at him. "Do you want to hear me out or not?"
"Oh, please." Cassian raised his hands in mock surrender. "I have nothing better to do than return to some quality wine and fine music. So fire away."
It was Hayden's turn to scoff. "Something's killing off the animals in the forest. And that's scaring the rest off. At first, some men discovered deceased deer and boars littered on the forest floor in alarming numbers. Then the animals started disappearing altogether, as if they all ran away in fear. And the cuts on the carcasses, even our most experienced hunters claimed to have never seen such lacerations before. It was as if they came from a huge—"
Hayden stopped abruptly, mostly because he was beginning to sound like the fairytale fanatics he used to laugh at. But also because a part of him didn't want to admit that the stories could be true. He glanced at Cassian, raising an eyebrow at his bored expression.
"You're recounting the past few weeks like I wasn't here as well. Yes, I know about the dead animals. I'm also aware of the fact that the lack of game in the forest with the climax of winter approaching certainly spells trouble for us. In addition to that, the women and even some of the men are afraid to go in there now, especially after the rumors of sightings and—"
"Okay, fine." Hayden cut in, not wanting him to finish. "You've made your point. You're well informed."
Cassian had a small smile of triumph, then his face straightened. "So tell me, what's your point? Why do you sulk here in your lonesome?"
Hayden gazed at his brother for a moment, taking in his eerily long white hair, bushy, dark eyebrows, straight nose, thin lips, and solid jaw. His handsomeness wasn't lost on anyone who gazed into those wild gray eyes of his, even Hayden had to confirm it. The young man he looked at was the same one who was only just a mischievous little boy a couple of years ago. His mischievous little brother. They shared such a bond, such a connection that many ceased to understand, to the point that all they had to do was share a glance and one could tell what the other was thinking.
Just like he did now.
Cassian released a deep sigh, shuffled closer, and placed an arm around his older brother's shoulder. "You don't need to bear the burden of the whole kingdom on your annoyingly broad shoulders, Hayden. That's what you have everyone for. We all have to work together to get out of these trying times. Matter of fact, that was one of the reasons Father arranged for this occasion. The tension was getting too high, mumbles and rumors were spreading from here to there causing distress and disharmony everywhere. This ceremony was supposed to remind us that despite the hard times, as long as we've got ourselves, there isn't any situation we can't turn around. And that includes you, big brother."
He wasn't going to cry, but that didn't stop the stinging in Hayden's eyes. So he sniffed instead. "Are you sure you're not supposed to be the older one? I think I'd work better under your guidance."
Cassian laughed as he rose to his feet. "I'll try applying for first place if we ever become siblings in another life. Meanwhile," his face crumpled as he peered down, "let's get off this tower, shall we? I'm not particularly fond of heights as you are."
Hayden was just about to rise as well when a thought hit him. "You said, 'one of the reasons'. What's the other reason Father had for throwing this unexpected party?"
The mischievous glint he knew all too well returned to Cassian's eyes as he glanced back at him.
"Well, that's something you'd have to come inside to find out."